The Girl in the Tower
by theFatherLord
Summary: A/U. After five years in exile, Zuko is found by the Order of the White Lotus. His uncle, Iroh, chooses him to go on a mission to the ancient city of Caldera to rescue someone he only knows as The Girl. Once back in the place of his nightmares, Zuko learns how twisted Ozai has turned the city. Trapped in the middle of an uprising, what happens when Zuko learns who The Girl is?
1. The Exile

**A/N: Okay, so first chapter takes place in the past, setting up everything. Starting next chapter, it'll all be the present. Also, this is loosely inspired by the game _Bioshock Infinite. _Not the entire plot, but the basic set up and whatnot. There will be some mature stuff in this story: sex, details of abuse, language, all that stuff. Also, go to my profile and get a better summary of the story. Also, Aang is NOT the Avatar in this series and the Air Nation is still alive.**

* * *

_Eleven Years Ago_

"We, the followers of the Four Sages, have chosen Ozai of the Fire Nation as the new Father of Caldera. May his ten years of service be fair and just."

There was a roar of applause, mostly from those that were from the Fire Nation and its surrounding colonies as Ozai stepped forward. He was a strong looking man, broad shoulders and carried himself with power and regality. His hair was up in a top knot, most of it flowing past his shoulders. Before him stood four hooded men; the followers of the Four Sages. Each had a different colored robe on: red, blue, green, and yellow. Ozai kneeled down before them, lowering his head. The roaring from the crowd grew even louder as he was presented with the head piece that dignified him as the new Father of Caldera, the ancient city that brought together all four nations.

Standing behind everything was a young boy and girl. The boy had a timid look on his face, watching as his father was adorned the new ruler of Caldera. Next to him was the girl, his sister. She had a look of fierce determination and pride that made up for the lack of pride coming from the young boy. Next to the boy was another old man, who had a slight tea belly, but had more poise and grace than anything else. He saw the timid nature of the boy, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder and smiling down at him.

"Today is a day for celebration, Prince Zuko," the man said. "Your father is the ruler of a land that promises peace."

"I know, Uncle Iroh," the boy known as Zuko said. "I just miss my mother."

"We all do, brother," the girl snapped.

"Easy now, Azula," the old man, Iroh, warned her.

"Uncle, where is cousin Lu Ten?" Azula asked, not looking away as their father began making his speech to everyone.

"He's coming from Ba Sing Se," Iroh said. "Our family needs to stay together."

"Family is most important," Azula said, turning and offering a warm smile to Zuko, who returned it back.

Ozai's speech ended with another roar as he raised his arms into the sky. Around him, his new Imperial Guards, all firebenders, shot flames up the pillars, the flames spewing out the top of the pillars. Zuko rose to his feet now, keeping his head down as his father walked past him. Once he did, Zuko and Azula turned and followed suit with Iroh right behind them.

"Father Ozai, if you and your family will follow us, we will show you to your new quarters," one of the servants said, presenting the Fire Nation symbol and bowing to the new Father of Caldera.

"We have to move?" Zuko questioned.

"Of course, Prince Zuko," Ozai said, the annoyance evident in his voice. "We are now rulers of this city."

"Ten years of ruling these people," Azula said, smiling.

"Precisely," Ozai smirked as the servant led them through the Palace of Caldera. "Now, children, get some sleep. You begin your firebending training tomorrow."

"Yes, father," Zuko and Azula said as the servant opened the door to the room that they would share.

"Zuko, would you like to get some tea?" Iroh asked, his arms folded in his sleeves above his chest.

"Yes, uncle," Zuko said with a nod.

Zuko bowed to his father, not seeing the annoyed look on the ruler's face. Zuko turned and walked next to Iroh as his sister went rummaging around in their new room. Zuko looked like a young version of Ozai, his hair up in a topknot. He had piercing gold eyes that, when applied, carried pride and regality, just like Ozai. He was dressed in the traditional Fire Nation armor, his hands clasped behind his back as another servant led Iroh and Zuko to the Dining Hall.

"So, are you ready for your training tomorrow?" Iroh asked as they sat down.

The young boy shrugged, cupping his hands together as a small flame sparked above his palms. He made it dance between his fingers, never moving his eyes from the fire as he snuffed it out.

"I'm not sure what else I can do," Zuko said. "Father expects so much from me."

"You'll be fine, Prince Zuko," Iroh smiled. "Now, let us enjoy some ginseng tea."

* * *

"Faster! Stronger! That is mediocre at best!"

Zuko, only eleven years old, did his best to ignore his father's insults. With sweat dripping down his face, he did his best to mimic his trainer's moves. His gold eyes watched as the old firebender moved gracefully and carried himself with power as the red and orange and yellow flames erupted from his hands. On the other side, Azula was matching the moves perfectly. The flames that erupted from her were just as large as the trainer's, earning praise from both him and Ozai. For two weeks, they had been training non-stop, trying to reach Ozai's level of perfection.

Zuko sighed, moving through the forms once again as he tried to produce the same fire that his younger sister was producing. As Zuko moved, small puffs of fire came from his palm. As he spun on his heel, the fire erupted in his palm, sending him flying backwards off his feet. His body hit the ground hard, causing a low groan to emit from his mouth as he rolled over the top of his head.

"Get up, Zuko!" Ozai's voice rang harshly. "Get up and prove yourself!"

He struggled to his feet, still disoriented from the explosion that sent him flying. Zuko tried shaking it off, looking over at the trainer and Azula, who had a grim look on her face. The sound of voices yelling around him echoed in a distorted tone in his ears. The voice was getting louder and louder, almost like it was getting closer. More voices began jumbling in his head as he finally got his vision focused in time to see his father coming down on him. He let out a yelp as he felt the back of his father's hand against his face, sending him back to the ground.

"How can you be _my_ son and not even firebend properly?" Ozai roared, grabbing Zuko by his topknot and flinging him to the ground.

The trainer and Azula froze, not knowing what to really do as the Father of Caldera lifted Zuko up again, turning and slapping him with the back of his hand once again. Zuko cried out in pain, trying to wrestle himself free from Ozai's grip.

"You will learn firebending," Ozai snapped. "The easy way or the hard way."

"Please, father, stop," Zuko cried out.

Ozai only grew angrier. No one knew what was going to be done next, but they all watched in horror as Ozai raised his hand, engulfing it in flames.

Zuko's screams could be heard all throughout the Palace of Caldera.

He was writhing on the ground as the guards quickly responded. Zuko had his hands to his face, rolling around and screaming his lungs out. Ozai only backed away, a snarl on his face as he watched the guards pick up Zuko. Azula was standing to the side, her eyes wide as she watched her brother being carried off.

* * *

That night, Iroh and Ozai engaged in one of the fiercest verbal battles ever recorded. Ozai preached that Zuko was weak and needed to be toughened in order to become a future ruler of the Fire Nation, and maybe even Caldera. Iroh called his younger brother a monster and arrogant man that cared nothing for his family. And it showed, as Iroh was always visiting Zuko every chance he got. Ozai only visited Zuko the day after the accident to see the extent of his work.

"Prince Zuko? May I enter?"

Zuko looked up from his bed, still unaccustomed to being able to only see with one eye, as his left eye was still wrapped in bandage. Since the accident two months ago, Zuko kept himself locked in his room. They had shaved off all of his hair, only leaving a ponytail at the top of his head. He was staring at the door with for what felt like forever before there was another knock. Zuko quickly snapped away from the memory, turning away from the door and sighed.

"Come in, uncle."

Iroh walked into Zuko's private room within the Infirmary Wing, bowing slightly to his nephew as he closed the door behind him. Zuko said nothing else, still looking off the side as Iroh approached the bed, sitting on the edge. Zuko only peered over as he felt the weight shifting on the bed, his one eyes catching the hurt and broken look that was present in his uncle's stare.

"What is it?" Zuko asked. "You look sad."

"I'm hurting for you, nephew," Iroh croaked, looking intently at Zuko. "I cannot imagine the pain you are going through."

Zuko knew that Iroh meant well, but there was something in Iroh's words that threw him off. He narrowed his one brow, feeling the other trying to knit closer to the other one as well. Zuko let out a snarl as he leaned forward, his body fueling with rage as he stared at his uncle.

"No, you can't," Zuko snapped. "You can _never_ know how I feel."

"Understand, Zuko, I'm only here to provide comfort."

Zuko scoffed, shaking his head and leaning back into his pillow with his eyes wild. "Comfort? There is nothing for you to do to comfort me."

"Then tell me, Zuko," Iroh pleaded. "I know I am not your father, but I am here to help you through this."

The prince stayed quiet for a moment as he stared down at his lap. He knew that Iroh was the only one that was going to help him. He knew, deep down, neither Ozai or Azula would come to visit him. In these two months, Zuko wasn't even sure if he remembered seeing his father come to visit him. But here was Iroh, who had his own son in Lu Ten, always at Zuko's side through all the turmoil. After his mother disappeared, it was Iroh who returned and comforted him. And now, with this, Iroh was there again.

"Don't leave," Zuko whispered, fighting back tears as he looked up to Iroh. "Don't leave me, uncle. I can't lose you."

Iroh said nothing else, only coming closer and hugging Zuko. The scarred prince grabbed onto his uncle tightly, not hiding anymore and letting the tears fall as his body began rocking with sobs. He could hear his uncle shushing him, mumbling that everything was going to be okay. But there was too much for Zuko to handle it.

"I won't leave you, Zuko. I won't ever leave you."

* * *

_Seven Years Ago_

"Your hair has grown out nicely," Iroh said.

Zuko said nothing, only stared down intently at the plate filled with komodo-rhino meat. It was exactly four years since his father attacked him. On the left side of his face was a reddish scar. It was over his eye, down his cheek a little, up his forehead and over his head. It was darker towards his eye, softening around the edges as it expanded outwards.

In those four years, Zuko grew into a completely different person. He spent the first few months in the Infirmary Wing. He never spoke a word, only laid there and stared up at the ceiling with the bandage wrapped around his face. Iroh would also visit him, but Zuko never said anything, only listen as his uncle spewed words of wisdom. Azula would come to visit him sometimes, rambling on about their father and how he was planning to make some changes to Caldera and help provide for the Fire Nation and its colonies. Zuko never said a word, only stared at the emptiness around him.

When they had taken off the bandage, and Zuko first saw the damage that had been done, he snapped. It was like the fire inside him literally exploded out of him. Half of the Infirmary had been burned before Iroh managed to control the raging flames that came from Zuko. When Ozai learned of this, he only spoke on how Zuko was finally able to bend fire properly. The fallout between Iroh and Ozai was immense, Iroh almost forcing Ozai to disown Zuko so that Iroh could adopt him on his own. Ozai refused this, however, wanting Zuko to grow into a warrior, not a tea master, as he had put it.

Zuko began spending more time alone after he was released from the Intensive Care. He would spend time for Iroh once in a while, being the open person he wanted to speak to. He rarely saw his father. It wasn't that he wanted not too, but because Ozai was too busy making his way to becoming a tyrant more than a peaceful Father of Caldera. Zuko scoffed every time he thought about it, wondering how the Four Sages couldn't see how despicable Ozai was back in the Fire Nation.

"Zuko? Did you hear me?"

The prince of Caldera finally looked up, snapping out of his brood.

"What?" Zuko snapped.

"I said that we should go and continue your sword training," Iroh said. "Master Piandao will be pleased to see you again."

"Sure, whatever."

The servants came and followed Zuko and Iroh outside the Palace. There was palanquin already waiting for them, the two stepping inside. Zuko adjusted his robe, fitting the hood over his head and shaggy hair. Iroh saw this, reaching up and taking the hood down. Zuko shot a glare at Iroh, narrowing his eyes at his uncle.

"What was that for?" Zuko asked.

"Do not hide who you are," Iroh said. "Embrace what destiny has given you, dear nephew. Everything will resolve itself."

Zuko scoffed. "I'm a marked prince, uncle; a prince that has lost everything, even respect from his own father. That's all I ever will be."

"I do not believe that."

"Then you are a fool," Zuko snapped. "A simple, old fool."

The rest of palanquin ride was silent, Zuko keeping his eyes just outside the curtains that shielded him from the outside world. The world passed him by, watching as those who knew whose palanquin that was stopped and bowed the Fire Nation symbol to the outside. Zuko scoffed at all of them, crossing his arms over his chest before noticing that Master Piandao's temple was coming up.

One thing that Zuko took up after his scar had healed was sword training. Iroh took him to Master Piandao, one of the best swordsmen in the entire world. He moved to Caldera years ago, training those who he deemed worthy. And there were very little that he deemed worthy. Most were looking for power, greed, or something to boast over their rivals. Zuko came in as a humble and broken man, loss of everything that was right in his life. Piando accepted him as his pupil almost immediately.

The palanquin stopped, Zuko stepping off first and strode into the temple. He bowed to Fat, Piandao's butler and sparring partner. Zuko stepped into the Common Hall, seeing Piandao sitting there with a cup of tea.

"Master Piandao," Zuko said as he bowed.

"Ah, Zuko, you're early," Piandao said, putting down the tea. "Shall we begin?"

Piandao didn't show pity towards Zuko when they trained, fighting full force and getting the most out of Zuko. It showed as they were sparring in the courtyard, their metal swords clanging off each other as they fought. Zuko was fond of the dual dao swords, having mastered them with ease that made Piandao very impressed. Zuko loved that, wanting to be pushed to his limits.

They were in the Courtyard, both of them handling their own swords. Zuko had finished creating his own dual dao swords a few months ago and this was one of his first tests with the swords. Piandao was charging down at Zuko, forcing the young firebender into a defensive posture. Zuko crossed his swords above his head, blocking Piandao's strike. He didn't notice the boot that was coming to his chest, making him stumble back and turning on his feet.

"Stronger, Zuko," Piandao said. "Do not hold back."

Zuko let out a low growl, spinning on his heel and swinging downwards on Piandao. As the master went to parry, Zuko trapped the blade between his, flipping the single blade away from its owner. He slid forward, crossing the blades over Piandao's neck with fire burning in his eyes.

"Impressive," Piandao said. "At ease."

The young prince sighed, forming the broadsword before he sheathed the blades. He sat down at the steps, breathing heavily as sweat dripped off his bangs. Zuko could feel the dampness beginning to form around his scarred eye. Piandao sat next to him, seeing Zuko breathing heavily, which was something that was out of the ordinary. Behind that stoic expression, Zuko's mind was racing.

"Is something troubling you, my pupil?" Piandao prompted. "You never get out of breath during our practice sessions."

"I've been thinking a lot lately," Zuko said.

"Is it because it's been four years?"

"No," Zuko snapped harshly, shaking his head and calming down from his little outburst. "No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?" Piandao asked.

Zuko sighed. "I'm thinking about leaving Caldera. I can't stand to be here anymore with that monster."

Piandao raised a brow, obviously confused. Zuko let out another sign, rolling his sleeves and showing bruises and burns. None were as severe as the one of his eye, but they were there. Piandao examined them closely, narrowing his eyes. A majority of them were old and forever part of Zuko's body. But Piandao saw the new ones, the fleshy scabs and small trickles of blood that weren't properly cleaned off. With a deep sigh, Piandao returned his gaze back towards his pupil.

"How long?"

Zuko swallowed. "It's never stopped."

"Does Iroh know?" Piandao asked.

"No," Zuko said as he rolled his sleeves down. "This is why I need to leave. I can't be here anymore and I can't keep lying to Iroh and Azula."

"Your firebending has improved and your sword skills are far beyond exceptional," Piandao said, nodding his head. "I believe that you will be fine."

"My uncle cannot know," Zuko snapped. "Not yet. He'll learn eventually, but not right now. He's already distant with Lu Ten, this would only make it worst."

"You have my word, Zuko."

Zuko rose and bowed to Piandao. "Thank you, master."

"Now, shall we continue?" Piandao smirked, raising his sword to Zuko.

* * *

_Five Years Ago_

Tonight was the night.

For two years, Zuko had planned his escape from Caldera. With Piandao and Fat, the trio had set up a plan with some guards that were easily taken advantage with money. They would sneak Zuko out on a carriage that was heading to Ba Sing Se. From there, Zuko would make his way out into the world and away from Caldera. Even to this day, Iroh didn't know. Zuko was sure his uncle was suspicious, but not fully aware of what was happening with his nephew.

He was sitting alone in his room, listening as he could hear his father yelling and bickering with advisors in the office that was just across the hall. Zuko was waiting for the moment that he went to bed and fell asleep. That was the most opportune moment to make his move and escape the hell that he had been in for six years now. Every time Zuko doubted himself, he would touch his scar. The hellish scenes always played in his mind, giving him cause to leave this behind.

The only guilt that Zuko felt was leaving Azula. Sure, they didn't have the closest of relationships, but they managed. Azula was the perfect child that Ozai always wanted. If Azula was a boy, it would make Ozai even happier about it. Zuko wasn't sure how he would tell Azula, or even if he should tell his younger sister at all.

_"Why are you just staring at that wall, Zu-Zu?"_

As if she could hear him thinking about her, Azula strolled into his room, arms crossed over her chest. She was wearing red and gold robes over her sleeping clothes. Zuko said nothing, only turned and acknowledged his sister. He didn't see her frown, only heard her footsteps come closer before he felt the weight shifting on his bed.

"Stop being so gloom," Azula whined. "I swear Mai is just rubbing off on you."

Last year, Zuko was shown a line of girls that Ozai had picked to be his betrothed and be the one that would produce new potential. Two of them were Azula's best friends. One was Ty Lee, one of ten sisters from a traveling circus family. She was the complete opposite of what Zuko expected. She was loud, bubbly, and always talked about people's auras. It made Zuko sick to see someone so giddy all the time.

Then there was Mai. Mai was the daughter of some rich business man from the Fire Nation. Obviously with money, Ozai was easily tempted. She was tall, slender, but carried a dully and monotonous personality. Zuko learned quickly that she was fairly skilled with knives, so he made it a point to never try and anger her. But then again, she rarely showed any emotions, so Zuko was never sure if she was angry and sad or anything that had to deal with expressing yourself.

"It has nothing to do with Mai," Zuko mumbled.

"Then why are you being so pouty?"

"I'm leaving."

He was met with silence. It wasn't what he was expecting.

"Leaving?" Azula repeated.

Zuko nodded. "I'm leaving Caldera. I can't live here anymore with Ozai and his cruelty."

"So you're just going to leave me here then?" Azula snapped.

"You think I want too?" Zuko said, turning on her. "I wish I could take you with me, but I can't. You wouldn't want to leave anyways, being the favorite."

"The favorite?" Azula raised a brow.

Zuko nodded again. "Father has been beating me ever since he gave me this scar. He doesn't lay a finger on you. You're the lucky one."

The siblings sat in silence for a while before Azula started laughing. Zuko raised a brow as he stared at her, confused on this sudden outburst. Eventually, Azula calmed down, wiping away a stray tear that escaped during her laughter. She then narrowed her eyes at Zuko, shaking her head.

"You're weak," Azula quickly said. "Running away from your problems like a scared little turtle-duck. You're weak, Zuko."

"What?"

She was standing now, marching to the door with anger. She stopped, turning on her heel and glaring wickedly at her older brother.

"Father was right," She hissed. "You were lucky to be born."

Zuko said nothing, only watched as her sister turned and slammed the door behind her. A single tear trickled down his scarred cheek as he dropped his head.

"Goodbye, Azula."

* * *

"What do you mean Prince Zuko isn't in his room?"

Ozai's voice carried more anger and annoyance than concern as the servant cowered from the Father of Caldera. He had just come to inform Zuko that breakfast was ready in the Dining Hall, but the room was empty. The bed had been made, the sheets and blankets pressed firmly. There was no note or anything.

"The guards are checking everywhere in the palace, Father Ozai," the servant stammered. "We are waiting for them to return with what they find."

"That little brat will pay for this," Ozai growled out.

"He's probably off crying about something else this morning," Azula snickered from her father's side.

The Father of Caldera said nothing, only sat at his dais as he waited as the guards marched into the room. They presented the Fire Nation symbol and bowed before Ozai. The leader said nothing, only nodded to let the guards begin speaking.

"We've searched the entire palace, Father Ozai," a guard stated. "Prince Zuko is nowhere to be found."

Ozai nodded. "Very well."

By the same time the next day, they had given up the search for Zuko. Ozai made nothing of it, saying that Caldera had to move on without him. Azula fell in line, obeying Ozai but never saying anything about her encounter with Zuko the night before. Iroh left soon after, traveling the world with his son, Lu Ten.

Zuko was already on his way to Ba Sing Se, hiding in the carriage with a hood covering his face. He was banishing himself to an exile. He was carrying a heavy heart, knowing that he was leaving behind people he cared about and that cared about him. But this was who Zuko was now. He was the Exile of Caldera, fleeing all that had ruined his past, but not his future.


	2. Order of the White Lotus

_Present Day, Ba Sing Se_

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Another voice snapped. "Just shut up and grab the pouch of money. We need to get out of here."

But then there was no mistaking that sound now. Both men froze, looking up from behind their masks and seeing him there. He was only a rumor, no one actually seeing him. But these men clearly saw that blue oni mask, grinning wickedly at them with black abysses for eyes. They couldn't move, only watched as the masked vigilante jumped down. In the silence, they heard the swords scraping the inside of their sheath and then they were face to face with dual dao swords.

The men couldn't do anything, to hesitant to move as the masked man approached them, moving like a shadow. The first man couldn't do anything, only felt the sting of the sharpness of the blade against his chest, followed by a strong kick to the chest. The second man raised his hand, a flame forming in his palm. He was met with the butt of the sword in his face, then felt the two blades against his neck. His body trembled underneath the cold sensation of the blades. The masked man stared with no emotions, pressing the edges of the swords harder against the man's neck, blood beginning to drip down the sword.

"Please, don't kill me," the man cried.

The masked figure tilted his head, shaking it slowly as he pulled one of his swords away. Before the man could even consider raising a fume of fire, the swordsman kicked the bender in the side of his head. The masked swordsman watched as he saw the man go unconscious even before he hit the ground. From the corner of his vision, he could see the other man cowering away from him.

"It's you… isn't it?" The man stammered. "You're the Blue Spirit."

The masked nodded once before turning and sheathing the swords. Underneath the mask, a smirk was painted on the man's lips as he walked away from the two men. He climbed back up the side of the building and onto the roof. He rolled his shoulders, walking towards the edge of the building and staring off into the darkness of Ba Sing Se.

They called him the Blue Spirit.

No one ever really saw what he looked like. Witnesses only said they saw the blue mask, glinting and smiling wickedly in the depth of the darkness. All of Ba Sing Se had a warrant out for him. They saw him as a vigilante, someone that was just getting in the way of the real police force, the Dai Li. He was a creature of the night, a silent guardian that most citizens had strong feelings in support of everything that he did.

Tonight, however, the Blue Spirit had no more plans. Standing on the rooftop, he snaked his way through the shadows, crawling down the side of the building and making his way into what was his apartment. He made sure to keep himself hidden, often not coming home until the wary hours of the early morning. Sliding through the window, he removed his oni mask, revealing the golden eyes and the pink and red scar over his left eye that he carried forever. He blinked several times, getting used to the sensation without the filter of the mask obscuring his vision.

Zuko, shedding off his shozoku and zukin, let out a sigh as he rolled his shoulders, hearing his bones crack. He carried bruises and scars all down his arms and back. Three years of doing this, and Zuko had countless encounters with death that he seemed unaffected by it anymore. Part of Zuko wasn't sure which scars were from Ozai and which were from his trials as the Blue Spirit. He stayed in black pants and his boots, tucking his Blue Spirit gear underneath the false wood panel underneath his bed.

The sound of the floor creaking made him look up, snapping his head towards his door. It was coming from the living room of his small apartment. Zuko grabbed one of his daggers, slowly stalking towards the door. He slowly opened his door, peeking through the small opening. He could see a man sitting on the small couch. Quietly, Zuko made his way behind the man, ready to lean over and end this fool's life.

"Is that anyway to welcome your cousin, Zuko?" The voice came from the couch, carrying a smug tone.

Zuko froze in his spot and frowned, lowering his dagger. "What are you doing here, Lu Ten?"

Lu Ten was Uncle Iroh's son. He was a firebending prodigy, just like Azula was. The older man stood up, clasping his hands behind his back and walking around to face his younger cousin. Zuko tightened his lips as Lu Ten smirked softly. There was something about him that was always so smug. It sort of reminded him of Azula, with all that pride.

"Good to see you too," Lu Ten snickered. "I'm doing great by the way, thanks for asking, cousin."

"How did you even find me?"

Lu Ten chuckled. "You forget where you learned your stealth from. And who recommended Iroh to take you to Master Piandao. Plus, it was _you_ who wrote me saying you were in Ba Sing Se. It was only a matter of time before I would find you."

Zuko scoffed, walking away from Lu Ten and back into his room. He tucked his dagger away, sitting on the bed and staring out at his cousin as he walked into the door frame. Lu Ten was the spitting image of a younger Iroh, even having the full beard that was just black instead of the gray Iroh's was. It was scary how both Zuko and Lu Ten resembled their fathers. Only Zuko wished he didn't carry that family trait down with him, and hoped he wouldn't pass it down.

"Does Iroh know you're here?" Zuko prompted.

"No," Lu Ten snapped. "He knows you're alive, though. You should really go and see him sometime."

The exile said nothing, looking away and crossing his arms over his bare chest. He heard Lu Ten's sigh, pulling a smirk on his face as he turned back to face his cousin. The memories of them bending together after his accident flashed in his mind before Zuko pressed his lips into a thin line, shaking them off as he looked back over at his cousin with narrow eyes.

"What do you want?" Zuko asked.

"I came to see you, little Zu-Zu."

Zuko was on top of Lu Ten in a second. He managed to pull his dagger out again, pinning it against his cousin's neck as he pressed him against the wall. Zuko had anger in his eyes while Lu Ten only smirked. Zuko pressed the tip of the dagger deeper into Lu Ten's neck, watching as a small trail of blood leaked out. He could picture Azula's head in his mind as his nickname echoed around him. Zuko began seeing the fire dancing around him, Zuko mentally snuffing them away and glaring wickedly at Lu Ten.

"Don't_ fucking _call me that."

"Or what?" Lu Ten egged him on. "We both know that the Blue Spirit doesn't kill anyone who doesn't deserve it."

"Who says you don't deserve it?" Zuko sneered.

Lu Ten narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't. You don't have what it takes, Zuko."

Zuko growled, relaxing and backing away from Lu Ten and wiping the blood on his pants. "Again, what do you want, Lu Ten?"

"I wanted to ask you a question," Lu Ten said, wiping away the blood on his neck. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Zuko raised a brow. "What?"

Lu Ten nodded, crossing his arms over his chest and staring intently at his younger cousin. "Why Ba Sing Se? I know that there was a reason you told me that you were here, and not my father. What is it?"

"You keep me connected with the outside world," Zuko snickered. "And bring me delightful stories that keep me sleeping easily."

"Don't be an asshole," Lu Ten snapped. "My father has been worried about you since you left those years ago. He saw you as another son. He saw you as my brother."

"Is that supposed to make me feel bad?" Zuko snapped harshly, stepping forward. "You're _not_ my brother. And Iroh is _not_ my father."

"You're right," Lu Ten shot back, shaking his head. "You're the bastard child of a monster in Caldera."

It was like a switch went off in Zuko's head. The memory played again, feeling the blazing heat around him. Zuko felt his body tremble slightly before the memory faded away, only the sound of laughter tickled the back of his mind. He breathed out a fluff of fire from his nostrils, shaking his head and pointing the dagger at Lu Ten, a dangerous snarl rising on his face.

"Get out," Zuko shouted.

The older firebender didn't move, staring with wide eyes as he took full notice of the rage and anger that was pent up inside Zuko. He stepped forward, reaching out for his younger cousin.

"Zuko, I—"

_"I said get out!"_

Lu Ten said nothing else, turning away and walking out the way he came. He looked back once, seeing Zuko hanging his head. The older cousin sighed, slamming the door behind him and leaving Zuko alone once again. The former prince of Caldera sighed, falling back on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.

Some nights, when he knew that Iroh was in Ba Sing Se visiting the city and the tea shop he owned, Zuko would follow him. He wouldn't wear the mask, but was keen on making sure his face was hidden from the eye of Iroh. He saw how broken the old man looked, longing to see Zuko. And Zuko knew that Lu Ten was right; Iroh did see him as another son. It hurt Zuko to see Iroh distraught and faking it to the world like Zuko used to fake being happy when he was back in Caldera.

* * *

"Shit, this is not good."

Zuko mumbled curses under his breath as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop. He was a simple surveillance mission this night, just his usual patrol of the city. What he hadn't expected was there to be men on the same rooftops he was always on. The only thing was that these weren't Dai Li troops. He wasn't sure who they were, but they were quickly coming after him. They dressed in blue and white robes and had a symbol on their chests. Zuko couldn't decipher what it was before they began chasing after him.

The three men chasing him were all benders. One was a firebender, the other earth and the last was a waterbender. Zuko had to stay clear of the tight streams of fire that rushed by the side of his mask. His mind was racing trying to figure out who they were. Were they assassins sent by some of the men he captured? Was it payback for killing a man? Zuko wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to let these men capture him so he could find out the reason for this chase. He focused on the task at hand, willing himself to run faster than those running after him.

On his right, Zuko saw the earthbender catching up to him. In the next second, Zuko saw two earth discs flying towards him. As Zuko prepared to leap to the next building, he flipped forward, feeling the air rip around him as the discs shot by him. Zuko rolled forward, sliding to a stop as the three men all surrounded him. He readied himself in an attack position, his arm ready to reach back for his scabbard.

"Please, enough with this," the firebender snapped. "We don't want to make this harder than it already is."

Zuko said nothing, only reaching for his sword and smiling as he heard the sound of metal scraping the sheath. He split the dual dao swords, twirling them around his body as he readied himself in an attack position. He could hear the men sigh as they too readied themselves for a fight. Under the mask, Zuko tried to pick up on their movements. It was the waterbender who pushed forward first from Zuko's right. The emotionless mask moved downwards, dodging the ribbon of water. Zuko sliced at it, breaking the stream before charging forward at the waterbender. The waterbender quickly covered his hands in daggers made of ice, raising them in time as Zuko swung down.

Raising his leg, Zuko kicked the waterbender across in the ribs. Zuko jammed the butt of his sword into the face of the waterbender as he was stumbling sideways, knocking him to the ground quickly. The sound of bones cracking was evident. Even under the blue mask, Zuko knew that was the sound of several ribs cracking. The waterbender wheezing and struggling to breathe only proved Zuko's assumption.

Both the earth and firebender now charged at him. Zuko ducked the sharp clods of earth aimed for his mask, not seeing the fire coming at him. Going against his mantra of not bending while in the mask, Zuko dropped his sword and raised his hand to the flames. He watched the flames circle around his arm before he snuffed them off with a clench of his fist. With the shock on the men's faces, Zuko regained his two swords, slicing and cutting across the firebender's chest. He stumbled back, giving Zuko the chance to spring forward. Ducking another clod of earth from his right, Zuko swept the foot of the firebender, driving his elbow into his chest and pinning the firebender to the ground.

Zuko, already revealing his firebending powers, turned and launched a stream of fire at the earthbender, knocking him off his feet and down the building. With only the firebender now, Zuko crossed his swords over his neck and leaned down into the face of the man chasing him, digging his swords into the ground. He could see the slight fear in the man's face as he turned his masked face to the side. Under the mask, Zuko's eyes were twitching rapidly and his heart was racing.

"Who sent you?" Zuko snapped harshly in a disguised voice.

_"I did."_

The Blue Spirit didn't have time to turn around before he felt a blunt force on the back of his head. The world had blackened before his head hit the ground.

* * *

Zuko wasn't sure how long it was before he finally woke up. When he did, however, he saw that his mask was removed and his face was exposed. He leaned forward, surprised to see that he was free. Zuko raised a brow, expecting to be either tied down and chained up. He wasn't sure anymore on who those men were and why they were chasing him.

_"I bet you wonder why you're not tied up, huh?"_

The confusion went away as Zuko now realized who went those men after him. He looked up at the ceiling, chuckling softly as he shook his head. That familiar voice that he heard twice in two days wasn't something he was expecting, or looking forward too now. Once his chuckle ceased, a smirk danced on his lips as he lowered his head, turning towards where the voice was coming from.

"Lu Ten," Zuko mumbled. "I can honestly say that I'm not surprised."

He heard the footsteps come around, seeing his cousin standing in front of him wearing the same blue and white robes as the men who were chasing him. Zuko studied the symbol, still not being able to remember where he first saw the symbol and what it meant.

"It wasn't me who sent those men, if that's what you're wondering," Lu Ten said. "Although, I should've warned them not to take you lightly. You did manage to break that waterbender's ribs. And I can't believe you showed that the Blue Spirit was actually a firebender."

Zuko smirked as golden eyes met golden eyes. "My apologies."

Lu Ten chuckled, smirking at his cousin. "You know, I should have warned you this was going to happen when we last talked."

"Before or after you called me the bastard child of a monster?"

Lu Ten cringed, his smirk vanishing quickly. "I'm sorry about that. My dad would give me quite a lecture about that if he ever learned that I said that."

"I should thank uncle then."

"If that's what you wish," Lu Ten shrugged.

Zuko raised a brow, watching as Lu Ten turned and opened the metal door behind him. The exiled prince's eyes widened as he watched his Uncle Iroh walk through the door, dressed in the same blue and white robes. Zuko now realized the symbol once he saw his uncle dressed in it as well. A light smirk pulled at Zuko's lips as he focused on the symbol. He remembered all the stories that Iroh would tell him about this secret order that watched over the entire world, keeping the peace.

"The white lotus," Zuko mumbled, shaking his head. "I thought that was all just a myth old people told each other."

"The Order of the White Lotus is no myth, dear nephew," Iroh beamed down at Zuko. "We exist to preserve the ways of old. The ways that the Four Sages intended the four nations to exist together."

"So I'm guessing that _you_ sent those men after me?"

Iroh nodded, frowning slightly. "They were just meant to bring you to us, but you did get a little reckless."

"Forgive me for not letting three random benders take me as their hostage," Zuko snapped. "But, if you wanted to talk to me, you should've gone to Lu Ten. He knows where I've been at here in Ba Sing Se."

Iroh nodded. "I know. He's been keeping me informed."

"Of course he has," Zuko chuckled. "Now, may I ask, what is so important that you needed to send three benders after me? And three _weak_ benders, at that."

"Ah, yes," Iroh said, pulling another chair and sitting across from Zuko. "As you know, in Caldera, the current leader is supposed to relinquish the throne every ten years."

Zuko nodded. "Go on."

"Well, Ozai has refused to relinquish the throne," Iroh explained. "On top of that, he has smeared what Caldera stood for and has disgraced the Four Sages."

Zuko furrowed his brow. "None of this is a surprise to me. That man is a monster and the current Sages should've known that from watching him in the Fire Nation."

"But that is not why we are here," Lu Ten mumbled.

The Blue Spirit raised a brow, leaning forward and looking from his uncle to his cousin. Zuko would be lying if he wasn't becoming more intrigued about this whole story the two were telling them.

"We believe that Ozai is in the possession of a very valuable person," Iroh explained. "We are planning a rescue mission."

"Is this person _that_ important that the Order of the White Lotus is going into Caldera?" Zuko asked.

"Not the Order," Lu Ten said.

Zuko raised his good brow again, his eyes flickering from Iroh to Lu Ten. It took a second to realize what they meant now. Zuko narrowed his eyes, glaring at his uncle as the rage was building back up again. The memories were beginning to creep back into Zuko's mind. His eyes widened as he saw his father's face snarling down at him. The heat was building around him as his father's laugh came back to his mind.

"No," Zuko snapped. "You _cannot_ send me back in there."

Iroh sighed heavily. "We have seen what you can do, Zuko, as the Blue Spirit. You are the perfect and only choice for this mission."

"Who is this person anyways?"

"That we can't say," Lu Ten answered. "All we know is that she's the granddaughter of an old friend of dad's."

"She? Is this some damsel in distress?" Zuko asked.

"I wouldn't put it that way," Iroh said.

"Uncle, you can't send me back there," Zuko said, the memories still present into his head. "Not after everything I've been through."

Iroh hung his head, trying to find the words to console his nephew. "I know it's difficult, Zuko, but there is no other option."

"Even if I said yes," Zuko said. "How am I even getting into Caldera? I'm sure I won't be able to just waltz back in."

"Full Moon Bay sends ferries every day to Caldera," Iroh said. "We can easily smuggle you through there."

"Full Moon Bay?"

Lu Ten sighed, shaking his head. "It's a port hidden within a mountain just south of here. It'll be easy."

"And what if I refuse?" Zuko asked. "I assume that you don't have a back-up plan. I say no, walk out of here and leave the city, then what?"

Iroh shook his head. "You would really let a girl suffer under the hands of Ozai?"

Zuko frowned, knowing that Iroh was simply trying to guilt him into taking on this mission. He shook his head, leaning into his seat and crossing his arms over his chest, studying both his cousin and uncle. Despite how much he argued with Lu Ten, he knew that they would never make this type of stuff up. Zuko fully believed that his father was holding some girl prisoner. She had to be important, if the Order of the White Lotus was part of this.

"Why me?" Zuko asked again, sadness in his voice. "Uncle, you know the hell he put me through when I was young. Going back there… I'm not sure I could handle it."

"You are strong, dear nephew," Iroh said. "I know that you'll be able to go persevere and fight through it."

"Who is the girl?"

"Unfortunately, there is very little that I can tell you," Iroh sighed. "I have strict orders not to give details."

Zuko frowned. "How can you say that and expect me to take this on?"

"Because we're family and we're asking you," Lu Ten snapped. "Get off your high horse and understand that this isn't about you. This is about saving an innocent girl who has no part in what is happening in Caldera."

"What is happening in Caldera?" Zuko prompted.

"There have been rumors of a rebellion rising," Iroh answered. "We fear that if it does escalate, they won't care who she is. If she's inside the Palace, they will kill her."

Zuko sighed, bowing his head as he rattled all the thoughts and information in his head. He felt guilty already, knowing what this girl was going through and how she was caught in a war that she had no part of. With his resolve strong, he looked up at his family.

"Alright, I'll do it," Zuko said. "But for her. I'm not doing this for you and this order of old people."

"Thank you," Iroh said with a smile. "Come, we must get you prepared and ready to leave for Full Moon Bay. The next ferry leaves in a couple of days."

Zuko sighed, nodding once before he stood up. Lu Ten barked an order to the door, seeing the firebender he pinned to the ground earlier bringing back the blue oni mask and the swords. Zuko said nothing, tying the scabbard on his back and fitting the blue mask back over his face, catching Iroh staring at him.

"The legend of the Blue Spirit," Iroh snickered. "I remember telling you this story after you told me your mother used to tell you it."

"Why the Blue Spirit, anyways?" Lu Ten prompted.

Under the mask, Zuko blinked back tears, the image of his mother coming into his mind as he made his way towards the door. Stopping at the entrance, he turned, letting his masked face stare at his cousins.

"He helps fight my demons off."


	3. Full Moon Bay

**A/N: First off, thanks for the first two reviews! :D. Secondly, this is something I forgot completely and one of the reviewers (N3phyts) brought it to my attention. For the general timeline, it's taking place during the same general time (99 AG - 100 AG). All the ages are being upped as well, however. Zuko is 21, for instance. Everyone else will have their own things introduced in later chapters, but I just wanted to clear this up. Also, the same past Avatars' exist, but I am making Roku older than he was in the show to fit the canon of my story. Once again, thanks for the views and reviews! :D**

* * *

Zuko sighed, sitting on his bed and staring down at his blue oni mask. The Blue Spirit was from a tale that he remembered his mother used to tell him when he was little. He knew it was more of a horror story, but the way his mother told him, she always depicted the Blue Spirit as a hero. That was what Zuko saw himself when he wore the mask. He let out a rush of air, tucking the mask away underneath the false floor before he grabbed the last of his bags. Five years had passed since he was in Caldera. Then, he was just a boy at the age of sixteen. Now, he was a man with a haunting memory. Turning around, Zuko raised a brow as he saw his uncle standing at the door to his room. Zuko said nothing, turning back around and continuing to stuff his shozoku back into his bag.

"Are you not bringing the mask?" Iroh asked.

The exile knitted his brows as he turned back to face his uncle. "I'll just stand out more with a blue oni mask. Not too smart on a rescue mission."

Iroh nodded, stepping closer to Zuko with a light smile on his face.

"All this time, you were in Ba Sing Se," Iroh sighed. "And not too far from my tea shop either."

"I used to follow you around," Zuko admitted. "Two years ago, I saw you here one day and always kept an eye on you, old man."

Iroh chuckled, stepping forward, and wrapping Zuko in a hug. The former Prince was taken back slightly for a second before he wrapped his arms around his uncle and hugged him back. He fought back the tears and the building emotions just as Iroh began speaking, breaking his brood.

"My friend wishes to thank you for taking on this mission," Iroh said as the two pulled apart.

Zuko scoffed. "I can't even know his name?"

"I can tell you that is a year younger than you. But, in the event that you are captured, it would be best if you did not know all the details," Iroh explained. "The less you know the better."

"You make it seem as if I'm going to get captured," Zuko frowned.

Iroh shrugged. "Us old people are worried about everything."

The two shared a laugh as Lu Ten walked into the room, knocking on the door once as he stared at the two. Iroh kept his smile, but Zuko's smile vanished, his lips pulling into a thin line as he turned back around, making sure all his stuff was packed and ready to go.

"The komodo-rhinos are ready," Lu Ten spoke. "Should take us a few hours to reach the ferry that will take us to Full Moon Bay."

"Let us go then," Iroh beamed.

Zuko nodded, throwing his bag over his shoulder and walking out the apartment behind his cousin and uncle.

"No mask?" Lu Ten raised a brow.

"Zuko says it would make him stand out more," Iroh explained.

The firebender said nothing as he came to his komodo-rhino, tying his bag to the beast and jumping onto the saddle. He raised the hood over his head, not giving the others a chance before he snapped on the reigns and let the beast begin taking them down to Full Moon Bay.

* * *

Zuko frowned at the sight of Full Moon Bay. In his mind, he was thinking it was an actual port or dock like they were back in the Fire Nation. This was just a cave with a large opening. He sighed, hopping down from his komodo-rhino and pulling his hood back over his head. Iroh and Lu Ten raised a brow as his secrecy, but he said nothing, only marching behind them as they continued explaining what his mission was. He listened to the words, but didn't absorb them, his golden eyes staring at all the other people that were trying to board one of the ferries. They were all like him: searching for a home and lost of what truly made them a whole person.

"Yes, we'd like three tickets to Caldera, please."

Lu Ten's words broke Zuko from his brood, realizing that they were now at the Ticket Booth. Standing above them over a slap of earth was an old lady. Her eyebrows were furrowed, causing a permanent wrinkle on her forehead. Her beady little eyes examined the three firebenders, taking note of their golden eyes. Zuko wondered just why old people looked creepy when you looked at them from certain angles.

"It'll cost you," she croaked, her lips curling into a smirk.

"I'm aware of that," Lu Ten snickered, raising his hand and placing a trinket on the slab. Zuko raised a brow, leaning closer and seeing that it was a Pai Sho tile piece. The white lotus was on it, Zuko smirking as he turned away. Of course this was how they were going to gain access to everything. But then a scary thought came into Zuko's head: how many people were connected through this order?

"Those who search will always find their treasure," the woman said with a nod, taking the tile and sliding three golden tickets to the three men.

"Thank you," Iroh said with a bow, leading the other two away.

"How many people are in the Order?" Zuko prompted, looking from his uncle to his cousin. "Just old people?"

Lu Ten snickered. "Just the people we need."

"So old people?" Zuko asked again.

Iroh only shrugged. "Sometimes all you need is experience. Nothing wrong with being old."

Zuko snorted, turning his attention as he looked the different people that were trying to board the ferries. There were so many people, all of them trying to make it to Caldera. Zuko furrowed his brow, wondering why all these people wanted to go to this city that was no longer what the Four Sages wanted it to be. Ozai had turned Caldera into a dictatorship with no signs of him ever even _considering_ releting control.

Standing in line with the other passengers, Zuko continued to look around. He spotted a group that piqued his interest. One had a bowl cut, dressed in armor. Zuko raised a brow, his eyes tracing the red strips that seemed to be painted on her… or his… or was it her's… face. The other man was tall, holding a stoic gaze on his face that reminded Zuko of himself. He could see the bow on his back with a straw hat over his head. The last one, who Zuko guessed was the leader based on how he stood, had shaggy brown hair. He had a straw of wheat in his mouth, his arms crossed over his chest.

It was the swords that caught Zuko's interest from the beginning. The hook swords, so different from anything he had seen before. He snorted, knowing that these would be slightly impractical in battle. Then again, Zuko also reasoned that they would help in keeping enemies at bay.

"Something wrong, nephew?" Iroh asked from his side.

Zuko quickly shook it off, turning away and walking with his uncle and cousin up onto the ferry. Iroh led them to where they would be sleeping. It was a small little room with two small beds. All three men frowned as they turned and stared at each other.

"I'll take the floor," Lu Ten quickly offered, dropping his stuff on the floor.

"Are you sure?" Zuko asked.

"Oh, don't tell me that you're worried for me, Zuko," Lu Ten snickered.

The Blue Spirit said nothing, dropping his bag on the bed and lying down next to him. He turned his back to his relatives, closing his eyes.

Sleep came to him rather quickly.

* * *

Two days had passed since they boarded the ferry.

Zuko had seen that group of three numerous times over the two days. He overheard them once talking about trying to steal the better food that the captain held in his quarters. Zuko only chuckled at their plan, planning not to be surprised if he heard something going down one day in the middle of the night. It certainly would provide some fun entertainment, at least.

Today, however, Iroh and Lu Ten wanted to go over the plan one last time. By this time tomorrow, they would be arrived at the Docks of Caldera, and then Zuko would be thrown behind enemy lines. He was going back to the place where his nightmares lived. Zuko closed his eyes as he stared at his soup in his bowl, pushing away the dark screams that were echoing in his mind.

"Are you okay, Zuko?" Lu Ten asked.

Zuko quickly opened his eyes, looking at his cousin and nodding once before taking another spoonful of the soup. He cringed at the taste, growing less surprised that the food on this poor excuse of a ship could be this horrible.

"Shall we discuss the plan then?" Iroh prompted.

They all looked around, making sure that no one was listening to them as Iroh began speaking again.

"Once we get to Caldera, we'll quickly make our way to a secret White Lotus stronghold," Iroh explained, looking at Zuko. "I'm sure you remember Master Piandao, right, nephew?"

"Are you saying that Piandao was a member of the White Lotus?" Zuko asked.

"Indeed, he was and still is," Iroh smiled. "Although, I do credit his honor in keeping your secret all these years."

Zuko chuckled lightly, taking a sip of tea that he found utterly repulsing. He swore that his tea, which wasn't that great to being with, was better than this hot leaf juice. Putting the cup down, he looked back over at Iroh. Zuko was beginning to be numb to all these surprises, remembering Lu Ten's words that all the people they needed were part of the Order of the White Lotus.

"Then what?" Zuko prompted, shifting his focus back to the mission.

"Once we make sure that you're presence has not been identified yet, that's when Lu Ten and I will return to Ba Sing Se and gather what White Lotus members we can. If the talks of the rebellion on true, we need to be ready to swoop in. Once we are gone, that is when you'll begin your mission of searching for the girl."

Zuko rasied a brow. "And how am I going to do that?"

"The girl is being held in a pagoda tower in the middle of the city behind the Palace of Caldera," Lu Ten answered. "She'll most likely be on the top floor."

"Again, how am I going to get in there?"

"Ozai had made a sport of her," Iroh stated. "Every month, they hold a raffle to go and visit the pagoda tower. No one actually sees her, but they are granted access inside the tower and see displays of her power."

"Displays of her power?" Zuko raised his good brow again. "Is she a bender?"

"A waterbender," Iroh admitted. "That's the only clue about her identity I have been granted to give you."

"Of course," Zuko rolled his eyes, looking to his right, seeing the man with the hook swords sitting a few tables away. His gaze locked onto him, not noticing the conversation was still going on without him. He narrowed his eyes, a growing concern rising within him.

"From there, once you find a way to break her out, you will have to send notice to us and then escape from Caldera," Iroh continued, not noticing that Zuko was staring off. "Zuko, are you listening?"

"I've seen that guy almost ten times in these two days," Zuko whispered, narrowing his eyes.

Iroh and Lu Ten both turned and stared at the man with the hook swords that Zuko was staring at. They said nothing, but only exchanged glances that went unnoticed by Zuko. The Blue Spirit shook it off, turning back to his relatives, not seeing the man with the hook swords looking back at his direction, a smirk pulling at his lips.

* * *

"Hey, scarface, you busy?"

Zuko turned his head from staring out at the ocean, seeing the man with the hook swords standing there. He was still chewing on that straw of wheat with a smirk on his face. The nickname was still ringing in his head before Zuko turned away and stared back out at the night sky, finding an odd calming feeling as he stared at the ocean. If he wasn't so calm and ordered not to display his firebending, Zuko was sure that this man would be burnt to a crisp for calling him by 'scarface'.

"Gonna take that as a no," the man snickered, stepping next to Zuko.

The firebender said nothing, only flashed his eyes towards the man before he looked back outwards again. He watched the waves, seeing them rock back and forth. It was enchanting, to say the least. They pushed and pulled, flowing so smoothly with grace and poise. It was like a dance.

"My name's Jet," Jet said, extending a hand and breaking Zuko's trance.

Zuko scoffed. "First you insult me and my physical appearance, and then you try to introduce yourself to me? You have a funny way of talking to people."

"Well, I didn't mean it like that," Jet quickly said, raising his hands in defense. "I didn't know what else to call you."

"What do you want?" Zuko snapped, still not bothering to stare at him.

Jet smirked, shifting the straw from one side of his mouth to the other. "Well, there's something I need to ask you. Sort of a favor, I guess. But first, I need you to answer me a question."

Zuko raised a brow, giving him a silent answer to continue talking.

"If I'm right, you have to tell me your name, alright?"

"Fine, whatever."

"Judging by how you walk and carry yourself, you're pretty good with a sword, right?" Jet raised a brow.

Zuko snickered, shaking his head with a smirk on his face. He had to admit, this kid was smarter than he appeared to be. With a sigh, he turned back to Jet, extending his hand towards the swordsman.

"I'm Lee," Zuko lied, remembering the name he used when he first went on his exile in Ba Sing Se.

"I knew it," Jet smirked, shaking his hand.

"Now what is it you want me to help you with?" Zuko prompted, turning away from Jet with a scowl.

"Well, Lee, I'm sure as you know, we're not eating the best gourmet food on this ship," Jet said, to which Zuko nodded his head. "I was thinking you can help my friends and I steal some food from the captain."

Zuko took a few moments to fully realize what Jet was telling him. His lips pulled into a smile before he started laughing loudly. Jet took a step back, surprised to see this type of response from Zuko. Other people looked their way, curious as to why this firebender was laughing loudly. Zuko began to calm down, wiping away a stray tear that escaped before he turned to stare at Jet. The serious look on Jet's face made Zuko immediately stop his sense of humor.

"You're joking, right?" Zuko raised a brow.

"No," Jet snapped sharply. "I'm not."

The firebender crooked his neck to stare up to where the captain's quarters were. He knew that the food wasn't the greatest, and most likely was expired. However, Zuko knew that this was something that he shouldn't get involved in. And he knew both Iroh and Lu Ten would be angered with this type of distraction.

"I'm gonna pass," Zuko finally said after thinking about it.

"And why is that?" Jet shot back, obviously offended.

Zuko shrugged, looking back out to the ocean. "Not the smartest idea. Plus, I have other things to worry about it. The taste of the food is not high on my list of concerns at this moment in time."

"Well, I have another thing to ask of you," Jet said.

If there was one thing Jet was, it was that he was very persistent. Zuko sighed, nodding his head to allow Jet to continue talking.

"Well, as you know, this ferry is en route to the city of Caldera," Jet explained. "My friends and I call ourselves the Freedom Fighters. We're heading there to join the uprising and take down Father Ozai. I want you to help us out and join the uprising."

Zuko blacked everything about after he heard his father's name. He wasn't sure if Jet had noticed the distraught look on his face, because he kept talking and explaining what he wanted to do. Composing himself, Zuko turned to stare at Jet, who had finally finished talking and was waiting for _Lee _to answer him.

"You want to join the uprising and take down Father Ozai?" Zuko raised a brow. "I think I'd rather help you steal the food."

Jet was angry now, stepping towards Zuko and getting right in his face. Zuko took this as a challenge, standing straight up now and narrowing his eyes. Zuko could feel his inner fire boiling as he clenched his fists at his side. Golden eyes pierced into brown eyes, Zuko wanting nothing else but to wipe that smug look that was present on Jet's face. It reminded him a bit of Lu Ten's. So full of confidence and cockiness at the same time. It sort of reminded him of himself sometimes.

"Why won't you help us?" Jet prompted.

"It's suicide," Zuko hissed. "Going against the Father of Caldera means going against the Four Sages as well. And then, you'll have the Fire Nation Army coming down on you. Ever think of that?"

Jet scoffed. "You obviously haven't heard of the leaders, have you? The Blind Bandit and the Silver Wolf. Or even the Kyoshi Warriors, huh?"

Zuko raised a brow. _The Silver Wolf? _Blind Bandit was okay, but Silver Wolf sounded like something a fool from the Water Tribe would come up with. Zuko wouldn't be surprised if this Silver Wolf actually painted his face and had a wolf's tail to go with. Zuko internally chuckled at the image in his head. But, he had heard of the Kyoshi Warriors. He ran into them a couple years ago when he was traveling to Ba Sing Se. He remembered the origin of them, being formed by Avatar Kyoshi. They were a band of female warriors, all non-benders and capable of defending themselves against benders.

"You don't want to get involved in something like that," Zuko stated.

"And how do you know that? Huh?" Jet raised a brow. "What makes you so smart about all of that?"

The firebender was about to respond with the sound of someone clearing their throat made him turn away. Lu Ten was there, hands clasped behind his back with his hair pulled into his regal topknot. Zuko and Jet watched as Lu Ten stepped forward, coming between the two and staring down at Jet. The thing about Lu Ten was that he had a piercing glare that could make anyone back down. Eventually, it did to Jet, who turned and walked away. He took one more glance over at Zuko before he whisked away to the other side of the ferry.

"Are you getting yourself into trouble again, Zu-Zu?" Lu Ten snickered, turning around and staring at Zuko.

"Oh, yes, cousin," Zuko smirked, rolling his eyes. "But now that you're here, everything is fine now."

"Who was that guy, anyways?" Lu Ten asked, changing the subject. "That's the guy you said you've seen a lot, isn't it?"

Zuko shrugged, turning back to stare at the ocean. He found peace in the waves, watching as they rocked back and forth. "Some guy named Jet. He was going on about joining the uprising in Caldera."

"He said what?" Lu Ten snapped, pulling Zuko in front of him. "Tell me what he told you. Tell me everything."

"He said he wants to join the Blind Bandit and Silver Wolf or whatever the fuck they're called," Zuko answered, pushing off from Lu Ten. "He wants to help the uprising bring down my fath-… Ozai with his Freedom Fighters."

Lu Ten narrowed his eyes. "And what did you tell him?"

"Nothing," Zuko snapped. "I'm not an idiot, Lu Ten. I know how to handle conversations like that. And are the Blind Bandit and Silver Wolf even real?"

Lu Ten nodded, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at his cousin. "The Blind Bandit, from what I've heard, is a blind earthbender from Gaoling. She apparently was taught earthbending by the badgermoles. The rumor is that she's one of the strongest earthbenders in the world, if not the best. There's another rumor that she knows how to bend metal as well.

"The Silver Wolf, however, is one of the most genius strategists from the Southern Water Tribe. He helped the Northern Water Tribe survive an assault by a rogue faction of the Fire Nation a couple years back. I don't know their real names, however. I know uncle has mentioned something about wanting their help in the past once this uprising began."

Zuko scoffed, smirking at Lu Ten. "Do you know anything? Any names or anything that is relevant to my mission? Cause frankly, I don't have a fucking lot to go with on this other than your word."

"Then take my father's word," Lu Ten snapped. "Trust Iroh and know that he will never lie to you, Zuko."

Zuko huffed, nodding once as he knew that he would always trust his uncle. Without another word, he turned and walked away from Lu Ten, pulling his hood back over his head and scar. He could hear Lu Ten sigh heavily as he made his way down the stairs to the sleeping quarters.

As Zuko slid the door open, he saw Iroh sitting lotus style on his bed, holding a book open. The old firebender looked up, smiling as he saw Zuko and closed the book. Zuko only nodded back, closing the door behind him and lying down on the bed across from his uncle.

"Where is Lu Ten?" Iroh asked.

"Up on the deck," Zuko answered. "He told me that I should take your word on this mission you're sending me on."

Iroh nodded. "I hope you will, nephew."

The exile nodded again, his eyes drifting to the book. He raised a brow as he saw the four symbols of the four nations on the cover. It prompted Zuko to suit up, pointing his index finger at the book.

"What are you reading?" Zuko asked.

"Oh, this," Iroh looked down at the book. "It's the story on the life of the Avatar."

"The Avatar," Zuko repeated. "Wasn't the last Avatar from the Fire Nation? Avatar Roku or something like that, right?"

Iroh shook his head, patting the book with a smile. "According to legend, after Avatar Roku passed away, the airbender Avatar was born. Some say that the child who was the Avatar was lost at sea one day. People aren't sure as to what really happened, because there are other legends of the Avatar never have been bored or actually dying."

Zuko nodded, his eyes shifting as he stared at the ground. "Would the Avatar be able to stop Ozai?"

"I suppose," Iroh said. "But, it would only be once the Avatar masters the four elements. And if it was true that the airbender Avatar was still alive, they would have to secure his training from the Four Sages."

"Why not just have the Avatar lead Caldera?" Zuko prompted.

Iroh shrugged. "I never thought about that. Why are you asking about the Avatar now, nephew?"

"I'm… I'm not sure," Zuko mumbled, lying back down and staring at the ceiling. "I was just curious. I know Ozai always mentioned something about the Avatar. And Caldera was meant to bring the four nations together, right? The Avatar is supposed to be the master of all four elements. It just seems fitting for the Avatar to be the leader."

"Your father was an obsessive man," Iroh explained. "With the power that the Avatar possessed, Ozai would want that power for himself."

Zuko sighed. "But what about the Avatar then? I mean, why can't the Avatar lead Caldera? It would've seemed so much easier."

"I do not know why the Four Sages didn't choose the Avatar as their Father of Caldera," Iroh answered. "All I know is that their quest for balance and peace has been smeared by Ozai. The world isn't safe as long as he has that type of power."

Zuko tuned everything else out as he closed his eyes, letting sleep coming over rather quickly, not noticing Lu Ten was entering the room with a saddened look on his face.


	4. Welcome to Caldera

**A/N: Sooooo, this chapter was a bitch to write. I wanted it to just set up the tone of Caldera and let everyone know what was happening. Not that great, but here it is.**

* * *

"How are you feeling today, peasant?"

The girl looked up from her meditation. Standing before her was the Princess of Caldera, Azula. She was dressed in the black and red armor that was native to the Fire Nation. She had her hair in a topknot, hands clasped behind her back with a devious smirk licking at her lips. The girl said nothing, only closed her eyes and returned to her meditation sessions. This angered Azula, who snarled before punching a ball of blue fire just around the head of the girl. She didn't even flinch as the heat simmered around her.

"You will answer me when I'm speaking to you, you stupid bitch."

The girl opened her eyes, her aqua blue eyes matching the blue tunic she was wearing with the white sash and dark blue leggings. With a sigh, she closed her eyes again with a smirk.

"I'm doing well, _Princess_ Azula," The hate and sarcasm was dripping off of every word as she spoke them.

"My father will not tolerate this disrespect," Azula snapped. "You're lucky he _cares_ for you, or else I would have killed you myself."

This seemed like a challenge for the blue-eyed girl, who opened her eyes slowly and then narrowed them, staring into the golden eyes of the princess. The girl sighed once more, closing her eyes and returning to the meditative state. Azula was angry now, but knew better than hurting her father's prisoner. Ozai had a certain affection for this girl, but Azula wasn't entirely sure just why she was so special. It made her remember her brother, envious of the way he was never put through the trials the she was after he left for his own exile. With a huff, she turned and walked away.

Once she knew she was alone, the blue-eyed girl released the tears that were built up behind her eye lids. She buried her face into her hands, sobbing quietly in the void around her, lost in this unknown world.

* * *

"Welcome to Caldera. Please, ensure all belongings are taken down from the ferry, as any items left on board will be auctioned off back at Full Moon Bay."

Zuko kept his bag tied tightly to his back as he marched behind Lu Ten and Iroh. He kept the hood raised over his head, making sure that Jet and his friends wouldn't see him. There was no part of him that wanted to see that jerk after last night. The trio of firebenders walked down from the ferry, watching as families embraced their loved ones. Zuko looked around, not realizing that Iroh was speaking to him. He caught some of the words, and heard one that caught his attention finally.

"A palanquin?" Zuko snapped in a whisper. "Piandao sent us a palanquin?"

"Master Piandao is sort of a celebrity around these parts," Lu Ten said as Iroh led them to the palanquin that had both Piandao's family symbol and the white lotus symbol fused into one. "It's not that much of a distraction."

The Blue Spirit mumbled something under his breath as he was the last one to step into the palanquin. He leaned against the back of, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at his uncle who was staring right back at him.

"So, when do you guys leave?" Zuko asked.

"In about a day or two," Lu Ten answered from Zuko's left. "Until then, we'll most likely be doing some reconnaissance and gathering as much information as we can."

Zuko raised a brow. "Information like what? I thought you knew everything already about this mission."

"He means figuring out how your father works in keeping the girl secure," Iroh explained. "We need to understand how our enemy works and what we have to do to cause the least amount of damage."

The exile scoffed, raising his fist and creating a flame. "We're firebenders. Damage isn't something we can avoid so easily."

"You have so much to learn, cousin," Lu Ten snickered.

Zuko only rolled his eyes, turning away and letting his mind begin to wander. After five years, Zuko was back in the place where his nightmares started. He wasn't sure where exactly Iroh convinced him to take on this mission to save this girl that he knew nothing about. Well, the only thing he knew was that she was a waterbender. And it wasn't that smart as well to send a firebender to save a waterbender. For all she knew, all firebenders were evil and none were to be trusted.

Or was that why Iroh asked about the mask?

Now Zuko's mind was really racing, not fully hearing the words his uncle and cousin were saying. What if they wanted the Blue Spirit, not Zuko, to rescue this girl? He didn't bring his mask, so that was really out of the question. But, Zuko could just make sure that he didn't show that he was a firebender to this waterbender. Shrugging at the thought, Zuko now wondered why his father would even capture of waterbender. Any way that Zuko looked at it, it didn't make sense. And his father wasn't the type of person, if you could call him a person, that would make irrational decision. No, this girl was important. More important than his cousin and uncle were letting on.

"Ah, I see we are here."

Zuko looked up at his uncle's voice, feeling that the palanquin had indeed stopped moving. He was the first one out of the palanquin, grabbing his bag and seeing Piandao and his butler, Fat, standing there. Zuko lowered his hood and bowed, his uncle and cousin following suit. Piandao bowed back, smiling widely at the three firebenders.

"The order welcomes those who seek the treasure," Piandao said, nodding to Iroh and Lu Ten. "And Zuko, it is good to see you again."

_These old men and their cryptic greetings._

"As it is to see you, Master Piandao," Zuko replied.

Piandao turned and extended his arms towards his small palace. "Please, come inside for tea. I feel that there is a lot that we must discuss."

* * *

"Lo and Li, go and see that the peasant isn't hungry or anything," Azula ordered.

The two old women bowed slightly, turning away from Azula and walking down the hall to where the waterbender's room was. Lo opened the door, letting Li walk in first before joining her at her side again. The blue-eyed girl looked up at the sound of the door closing. She was sitting in the same spot when Azula visited her a few days ago. She hadn't moved, staying in a lotus position and keeping her breathing him.

"Princess Azula inquires if you are hungry," Lo and Li said.

"If all I'm getting are fire flakes, then no, I'm not hungry."

Lo and Li turned their faces into deep scowls. "You speak such disrespect to the Princess of Caldera? Have you no shame?"

The waterbender scoffed, holding back a chuckle. "And keeping me locked up in here is considered respect?"

"Father Ozai has the best intentions for you, _peasant_," Lo and Li hissed. "It'd be best if you do well to behave yourself."

"I'm still not hungry," the waterbender snapped. "But I do wish to ask you a question."

The two older firebenders looked at each other, mumbling stuff that the waterbender couldn't here. They nodded to each other, crossing their arms over their chests and nodding to the girl. "Speak."

"Why am I here?"

Lo and Li both raised their brows, confused by this question. "Aren't you aware of the reason why Father Ozai tracked you down from the Southern Water Tribe?"

The waterbender shook her head slowly, staring down at the ground. Lo and Li sighed, looking at each other once more. "The answer you seek lies within yourself. Deep down, you know why you are here, waterbender."

The waterbender was silent for a few moments before nodding once. With a sigh, she looked up, smiling brightly and doing her best to keep her composure. "Tell Princess Azula thank you for asking about my state of being."

* * *

Tonight was another night of them taking notes of the pagoda tower that the girl was in. Zuko was dressed in his black shozoku, only raising his zukin enough to cover his mouth and nose. The hood part was bundled around his neck. He stayed crouched next to Lu Ten, who wore the black outfit to perfection. Well, at least Lu Ten believed that it was perfect. Zuko, having worn that outfit for years, would say it was just a little too much.

"Doesn't seem like it's that hard to get in there," Zuko observed, seeing only two guards at the entrance.

"You underestimate things, Zuko," Lu Ten snapped.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "I've spent years as a vigilante with a blue oni mask in Ba Sing Se. Safe to say, _I _was the one that was underestimated."

"A bit full of yourself, aren't you?"

The exile said nothing, only turned to stare at the two guards standing in front of the pagoda tower.

"So, when is this raffle thing?"

"Father said in about two days," Lu Ten answered. "But we're unsure of that plan now."

Zuko whipped his head around, narrowing his eyes and fitting his lips into a scowl underneath the zukin. "What do you mean, you're unsure of it?"

"You remember Zhao, right?"

Zuko gave a nod.

"Well, he's the one in charge of the raffle," Lu Ten explained. "Think of him like Ozai's right hand man. You win the raffle, Zhao recognizes you because of the scar, and it's all over."

"So now what?" Zuko prompted. "And please nothing that involves having to deal with the uprising."

Lu Ten shook his head. "If anything, we'll just have you steal someone's winning ticket and sneak in yourself."

Zuko rolled his eyes again. "Did neither of you truly think this through? I know uncle always tells me that, but now I'm beginning to think he should take his own advice about that."

"These are complications we didn't see coming," Lu Ten snapped, turning his gaze on his younger cousin. "We have to be adaptable to the changing elements that are around us."

"Whatever," Zuko said, turning on his heel. "There's nothing else going on. Let's just go back and report to Iroh and Piandao what we saw. I have a training session tomorrow anyways."

Before Lu Ten could argue, Zuko was off and running across the tops of buildings. The older man sighed, looking back towards the pagoda. He looked at the guards, seeing them retreat back inside the tower. Lu Ten took note of it, quickly running after Zuko and back to Piandao's home.

* * *

"Are you ready to begin, Zuko?"

Zuko looked up at his master, nodding once before he unsheathed his dual dao swords. He twirled the blades around his body, remembering all those nights in Ba Sing Se, taking down benders with ease and poise. Zuko nodded once, crouching into an attack position and watched as Piandao made the first move. Zuko stood ready, only stepping to the right, easily dodging Piandao's long sword and swiping across his master's arm, smirking as he saw the cut in the robe.

"Point to me," Zuko snickered.

The two were at again, the metal of the swords clanging against each other as Piandao was jabbing in quick strikes at Zuko. With his two swords, Zuko easily was able to defend himself and throw attacks of his own. But that was something that Piandao took advantage of. When Zuko readied himself for an attack, Piandao quickly slashed at the inside of his arm. Zuko gasped, looking down at the slit on his arm with a small trail of blood running down his arm.

"Tied up."

Iroh, Lu Ten and Fat all watched from the top of the stairs, amazed on how fluid the two of them were. Sipping tea and eating small batches of fire flakes, they watched as the master and pupil exchanged points and danced around each other with grace and poise.

"Zuko's mastery of the dual dao swords is rather impressive," Lu Ten stated.

Iroh nodded, seeing Zuko roll to the side and cutting a slit into Piandao's pants, earning himself another point. "Zuko took immediate interest in those when he began his training with Piandao. I always assumed it was because of the legend of the Blue Spirit."

"Didn't he say Aunt Ursa used to tell him stories about the Blue Spirit?"

Another nod came from Iroh as Zuko earned himself another point. "It seems that becoming the Blue Spirit was the only thing that continued to keep some connection with his mother going."

"Was it just like when mom died?" Lu Ten asked, staring at the ground.

"I believe so, yes."

Zuko, barely beginning to feel out of breath, managed to trap Piandao's sword in between his and flipped it away into the grass. The firebender kicked out the back of Piandao's legs, the old sword master falling on his back. Zuko immediately straddled the man's chest, crossing his swords over Piandao's neck with a smug smirk on his face.

"I win," Zuko snickered.

There was an applause from the stairs, Zuko turning and seeing his uncle and cousin clapping with smiles on their faces. With a smirk, Zuko rose to his feet and sheathed his swords, reaching down and pulling Piandao to his feet.

"It pleases me to see that you have not gotten rusty," Piandao smirked. "It would've been rather embarrassing if you had lost."

The exile scoffed, turning away and walking back up the stairs and past his relatives. He stopped, looking back and Lu Ten and Iroh.

"We need to start planning how I'm going to get into that pagoda tower."

The four men walked inside while Fat went and prepared fresh tea for them. They sat down at the small table, Zuko crossing his arms and waiting for his uncle to begin explaining the plan. After last night with Lu Ten saying they were unsure anymore, Zuko was beginning to regret taking on this mission. The nightmares had also started coming back to him, but he would never tell them. No, that wasn't who Zuko was. He was the Blue Spirit. He was a firebender. And firebenders never wore their emotions on their sleeves. They were supposed to be ruthless and destined to be the greatest benders on the face of the planet.

"I understand Lu Ten has informed you of how winning the raffle is no longer an option," Iroh stated.

Zuko nodded. "With Zhao running the raffle, he'll recognize me if I won."

"Correct," Iroh said. "I have discussed with Lu Ten and we have come to a decision on a new plan."

"Which is…?" Zuko raised a brow.

"Well, it does involve the members of the uprising," Lu Ten stated.

Zuko scoffed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I thought what was going to be a stupid plan."

"Hear us out, nephew," Iroh said. "The raffle is a huge public display that most high ranking officials and important people of Caldera attend. It'll be a perfect opportunity for the uprising to attack."

"You will be in attendance at the raffle," Lu Ten continued. "You won't enter it, but you will blend in with the locals. Whoever wins, stay close to them. Just be close though, in case the uprising attacks before the winner is announced."

Zuko raised a brow, his confusion growing. "You're making it seem like _you_ planned this with the uprising."

Iroh took a sip of tea, closing his eyes and hiding his smirk. "Well, _maybe _someone notified the resistance about where Zhao would be."

The exile chuckled, leaning back and crossing his arms over his head as he shook his head slowly. "Zhao being Ozai's right hand man, it'd be a big blow and a direct insult to his legacy. You never cease to amaze me, uncle."

"This is where you have to go on the rest of mission alone," Lu Ten said. "We're both sure that no one from Ozai's regime knows we're here."

Zuko nodded, taking a sip of the ginseng tea. He cringed at the taste, knowing that it was nothing compared to the tea that Iroh makes at his tea shop back in Ba Sing Se. Putting the cup down, he leaned forward, exhaling slowly.

"After I rescue the waterbender, then what?" Zuko prompted.

"You will return here and send notice to Iroh and the rest of the Order," Piandao spoke. "We will keep her safe until Iroh returns."

"And on the off chance that this doesn't work?" Zuko raised a brow. "What if I can't get back here without dealing with trouble?"

"You will take her to Ember Island," Iroh stated. "It remains untouched from any kingdom's rule and you will be safe there."

Zuko shook his head again, laughing loudly this time as he leaned back into his seat. "So, if the plan of just getting back here fails, you want me to go to Ember Island?"

"You still have a house there, don't you?" Lu Ten asked.

Another memory played in Zuko's mind as Lu Ten finished speaking. He remembered walking along the beach with his father. It was back when Ozai was only a ruler of the Fire Nation, not Caldera. His mother was holding his hand, telling him another part of the Blue Spirit legend. And that was when the fireworks started. Little Zuko stared up at them in awe, wanting to be a firebender just like that when he was older.

"Zuko? Are you okay?"

He shook the memory away, quickly nodding as he stood up. "I'll be in my room. Wake me when you two are ready to leave."

Zuko gave them no time to say anything else before he was marching off towards the hallway. The three older men listened as the door slid shut. Iroh sighed, putting down his cup and resting his chin on his fingers. He knew that Zuko was feeling conflicted right now, and he knew that there was a memory linked to his house on Ember Island.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Lu Ten offered.

"He must," Iroh declared. "For all of our sakes, Zuko must be stronger than he has ever been before."

* * *

"I trust that you will be okay, won't you, nephew?"

"Of course, uncle," Zuko replied with a smile.

Zuko was standing just outside the front gates of Piandao's home, watching as Iroh and Lu Ten loaded up the palanquin. Lu Ten said nothing, only stopped and gave a short nod to Zuko before he loaded himself up onto the palanquin. It was like Lu Ten to be stubborn and say nothing else as he was getting ready to leave. Iroh stepped in front of Zuko, offering a smile as he placed his hands on the young man's shoulders.

"I believe in you, Zuko," Iroh stated. "The Order of the White Lotus believes in you as well, my nephew."

"I know, uncle," Zuko replied.

"You've grown into such a strong man," Iroh beamed, folding his hands over his chest. "Your mother would be very proud of you."

Zuko nodded, watching as his uncle smile as he turned and climbed up into the palanquin. The firebender watched as the palanquin rose up, the people carrying it away as Zuko let out a heavy sigh. He looked at the footsteps, seeing his teacher standing beside him with his arms folded into his sleeve.

"You know your uncle trusts you, right?" Piandao asked. "He wouldn't have asked you to take this mission if he didn't."

"I know," Zuko said with a nod. "But I'm not sure if I trust myself."

"Why so?"

Zuko said nothing, only reaching up and touching his scar. The image of his father holding a hand of fire made him cringe as he turned on his heel and walked back into Piandao's home. He wasn't entirely sure if he could face his father again, if the time called for it.

And somewhere else, high in the pagoda tower, the waterbender stared up at the setting sun, finding warmth in knowing that the sun would always come back to her, regardless of how strong the moon could be.


	5. The Raffle

Zuko stood out in the Courtyard, feeling the energy in his body rise with the sun as it cracked over the horizon. He held out his dagger in his hands, flipping it between his fingers as he inhaled, absorbing the rays from the sun and letting the energy flow throughout his body. It had been two days since Iroh and Lu Ten left back to Ba Sing Se to gather the rest of the members of the order. He remembered his uncle saying something about a crazy Earth King and another firebending exile as two other prominent members. Zuko only shrugged it off, stopping his movements with the dagger and staring down at the engraving on the blade.

_Never give up without a fight._

He smirked at those words, knowing he lived by the mantra every day of his life since he became an exile; since he became the Blue Spirit. And now, Zuko needed to continue fighting. He had almost ten hours of sleep in the last two days, his mind plagued of the nightmares of being back in Caldera. Zuko could see his father's eyes, boring their dark gaze into his mind every time he closed his eyes. He knew they were only dreams, but it didn't stop his mind from creating dark thoughts and different scenarios.

"Zuko? What are you doing out here so early?"

The Blue Spirit turned at the sound of Piandao's voice, bowing slightly as the swords master walked towards him. Zuko hesitated to answer, thinking that he would sound like a small child telling Piandao that a nightmare scared him. He was nearing his twenty second birthday; being scared of dreams was the last thing he needed. He turned away from his teacher, letting a sigh come from his lips.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Piandao prompted.

Zuko looked up, narrowing his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Your uncle informed me that you have been experiencing nightmares before he left," Piandao said, concern lacing his words. "I heard your screams a while ago, and wanted to see if you were okay."

The firebender scoffed. "So why did you ask what I was doing out here if you already knew?"

Piandao shrugged, clasping his hands behind his back and staring up at the rising sun. He too rose with the sun, but not in the same way that firebenders did. He let out a rush of air before turning his stare back down to Zuko.

"I wanted to see if you would tell me first. I want you to know, Zuko, that all demons eventually die. You will have to confront yours on your mission."

Zuko scoffed, turning his attention back to the dagger and flipping it between his fingers. "My demon happens to be the ruler of this place."

"Fear is the essence of doubt," Piandao stated. "If you doubt yourself and your uncle, then fear is all that is left."

"Did uncle tell you to say that?"

"Perhaps," Piandao smirked. "However, it is time to prepare yourself. The raffle begins in a couple of hours."

Zuko nodded, watching as Piandao turned and walked back inside his house. The firebender sighed, looking up high into the sky, seeing the Palace of Caldera and Fire Tower cut into the horizon. He felt as if his world was turned upside down, having to find his way out of his maze and back to the real world. After the moment of reflection, Zuko turned and followed Piandao back inside, ready to begin his mission.

* * *

With his hood raised over his head, Zuko marched out into the streets of Caldera. His golden eyes watched as people passed him by. He heard the whispers and saw the looks people were giving him as his scar wasn't completely hidden by the red and gold hood. The people of Caldera were a mix of everyone from the Four Nations. For the majority, most of the citizens mingled with each other. Each race brought different traits to the city and helped it flourish.

The Fire Nation, for example, brought their way of festivities and great cooking. The Water Tribes brought over the idea of hunting and being able to fend for yourself in dire situations. The Earth Kingdom citizens brought with them the idea of wanting more than what was given to you. The Air Nomads brought that peace of mind was always something achievable. Zuko always felt that Iroh took after what the Air Nomads preached to heart, always meditating and wanting to stay calm and never rush into anything.

Zuko stopped in the middle of a busy street where different vendors had their booths set up. His eyes peered up, locking onto the Palace of Caldera. He narrowed his eyes, seeing that it was very similar to the Fire Lord's palace back in the Fire Nation. Zuko began wondering if Ozai had it remodeled after he decided he wasn't going to relent the throne to the next nation to rule Caldera. He narrowed his eyes, feeling an old memory coming back to him.

_"Zuko, please be careful with the turtle-ducks."_

_ Little Zuko heard his mother's words but didn't take heed of them. Instead, he walked up to the small pond, his hand reaching for the shell of the turtle-duck and stroking it softly. He laughed a full laugh, hearing his mother also laugh as the turtle-duck quacked loudly._

"Move it, buddy."

He felt a shove in his arm, almost spitting out fire as he watched a man and woman walk by. The man was tall, dark skin with his hair tied back. He looked Water Tribe. The other girl was short, wearing greens and yellows and browns, just like Earth Kingdom. The girl looked back once, Zuko seeing her milky eyes before she turned back around and whispered something to the other man. Zuko had already turned away and started walking as well, knowing that he needed to get to the raffle before it started.

Part of him wasn't even sure if this plan would work. What if no one won the raffle? Iroh said that there is always a winner, but Zuko was harboring some doubt about that. If there was no winner, than it would be another month before the next raffle would occur. Zuko knew there wasn't any time for that, praying to Agni that there would be a winner for him to steal the ticket from. And how would he even get close to the winner? It wasn't like Zuko could just go up to the guy without being noticed.

The raffle was being held just in front of the Palace, right in the center of Caldera. There was a large stage where the small basket of balls was being spun by a woman dressed in a bubbly pink outfit. Zuko kept looking around the stage, seeing pictures of the waterbender. She had dark brown hair that flowed down to her back. She wore blue leggings underneath a blue tunic that had a large slit on both sides of it. She had on brown and grey boots and blue and gray arm sleeves. But it was her eyes that caught Zuko's attention. They were as blue as the ocean, giving him that calming feeling he always got when he stared at the water.

"Good morning, citizens of Caldera," Zhao's voice echoed over Zuko's ears, causing him to look up. "Welcome to Father Ozai's raffle."

There were different reactions from the crowd. Some cheered their support of Ozai and the raffle; most of those were Fire Nation citizens. Others booed, yelling vulgar and obscene things that would tarnish Ozai's reign if he spoke those same words about the Four Sages.

"Today, we offer one of you the chance to visit the Fire Tower and see the lovely and beautiful Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe," Zhao roared, earning himself another cheer from the audience.

"Katara," Zuko whispered to himself.

Well, at least he knew her name now. And Zuko had to admit, just by looking at those pictures of her that were on display, she was rather beautiful. He kept coming back to her eyes, feeling himself relax. They were different color from his mother's, but they reminded him of her eyes. It made him feel at ease with the world. That nothing was wrong with it.

"In the three years that this has been going on, each winner has claimed that Lady Katara is a rather _interesting_ specimen," Zhao continued, walking back and forth on the stage. "I can only imagine that this month's winner will have that same satisfaction as past winners. And may that person pass on that same feeling to next month's winner."

The crowd began chanting for Zhao to draw a ball out of the basket. Zuko knew this was when he had to start moving now. He began weaving through the crowd, listening as Zhao began digging through the balls to pick his winner. The firebender growled, not being able to realize who was in the raffle or who was just someone that was watching the raffle.

"And our winner this month is, Master Shung of the Earth Kingdom!"

Zuko froze, looking up at the stage. He saw a pudgy, middle aged man making his way up to the stage. The man was pumping his arms into the air, smiling as he came to shake Zhao's hand. Zuko cursed under his breath, moving towards the stage as people cheered and booed. As Zuko began to reach the stage, something from the corner of his eyes caught his attention. There was another man in a hood. It was blue and black, different from his. His golden eyes narrowed as he watched the man raise his hands and lower the hood.

His face was painted silver and like a wolf.

_The Silver Wolf._

This was what Iroh had planned.

Zuko turned back to the stage, knowing that he couldn't risk Master Shung being hurt or killed, knowing that he needed to get that winning ticket.

"Get down!" Zuko yelled, his voice lost in the cheers.

Everything seemed to slow down as Zuko watched everything happen. He saw the same small girl from earlier, stomping onto the ground and shooting her fists upwards. The ground underneath the stage shot up, smashing the stage and sending everyone flying into the air. Zuko kept his eyes on Master Shung, moving in his direction and jumping into the air to catch him. Once he did, he shot out a burst of flames to slow his fall down, landing in front of Master Shung.

"Those filthy rebels," Shung yelled. "This is my day!"

Zuko turned back to the stage, seeing citizens running around as members of the uprising began moving into the stage area. His golden eyes fell back on the Silver Wolf, who was holding a boomerang and barking orders as the other girl, who Zuko assumed was the Blind Bandit, was also barking orders. Zuko knew that his only defense would be defending the winner, knowing that he was going to need to steal that ticket eventually.

Things would only get tougher as the Royal Guards began coming out. Zhao was back on his feet, a flame in his hand and pushing it towards the rebels. Large pillars of earth sprung up and blocked the flames. Zuko had to admit, that blind girl was a very good earthbender.

"Aang, we need some cover!" The Silver Wolf yelled.

Zuko watched as a bald Air Nomad leapt over the pillars, twirling a staff and slapping it through the air. Even Zuko felt the gust of air that hit Zhao, sending him flying backwards into a group of the Royal Guards. Zuko watched the airbender land on the ground, surprised to see an airbender engaging in this type of violent behavior. Then again, Ozai was ruining everything, so it wasn't too surprising.

"We need to find the guy who won," a voice yelled.

"He's over there!" another voice yelled back.

_Fuck._

This was not what Zuko wanted to do now. Making sure his hood stayed draped over his head, he watched as two earth discs flew towards him. A smirk played at his lips as he fired two short bursts of fire, destroying the discs. Zuko stood at the ready, knowing that he was going to have to play this part the best he could. He was only defending this sniveling Earth Kingdom noble, who was crouched in fear behind the firebender, for the ticket that was inside of his robes now. He wished he had brought his swords with him on this part of the mission.

Two men charged at him, stomping into the ground and raising two clods of earth. Zuko watched the giant rocks fly towards him. He cursed under his breath, spinning on the heel and releasing an arc of fire, slicing the earth in two and letting it fly around him. Those two men fell back, letting another man charge forward. Zuko narrowed his eyes, quickly recognizing the hook swords.

_Jet._

Zuko's eyes widened as he saw Jet hook the swords together, swinging them around his body as he got closer. The firebender was forced to duck to dodge the swing, coming up and pressing a sharp palm into Jet's side. The swordsman growled, swinging with both swords now. Zuko ducked every swing, seeing that Jet was getting angry with every step he took. With a quick kick, Zuko took out Jet's legs and kicked him to the ground, looking up as the Silver Wolf and Blind Bandit staring in his direction.

"Guards, show no mercy!"

Everyone looked up as Zhao's voice roared over everyone. Standing next to him were many guards that had been brought in from the Fire Nation. The rebels quickly yelled for their troops to retreat as the firebenders moved into stances and launched their attack. It was Aang, the airbender, who slammed his staff to the ground, releasing a large gust of air, pushing the flames away and snuffing them out. The Blind Bandit, who Zuko had a hard time believing she was _really _blind with how she attacked, raised two pillars, pushing them at the firebending guards. They kept blasting fire and the benders of the group kept deflecting the flames away as the rebels left just as quickly as they came.

"After them," Zhao ordered. "Father Ozai wants them to pay for ruining this day."

Zuko took this distraction as an opportune time to pick up Master Shung. The noble wiped away his sweat, looking at Zuko in the eyes, seemingly ignoring the scar that plagued his left eye.

"Thank you," Shung exclaimed. "What is your name? I must repay this favor."

"Lee," Zuko quickly lied, dusting off the noble's robes, smirking to himself.

"You find me, Lee, and I'll give you whatever you want."

The firebender would be lying if he said he didn't begin to consider this.

"I'm okay," Zuko said with a nod. "But thank you, anyways."

Zuko left before anything else was said, keeping the smirk on his face as he made sure that Zhao never saw his face as he walked away. Once he knew he was out of range from everyone, he dug into his sleeve, pulling out the ticket. He cocked his gaze to the pagoda tower, knowing that at least this part of the mission was done correctly.

* * *

"Master Shung," Zhao said, marching over to the noble. "Are you okay?"

The noble turned his head from watching _Lee_ walk off. He nodded once, dusting off his robe once more and offering Zhao a small smile.

"Yes, quite alright," Shung replied. "That boy, Lee, saved my life. If you ever find him, please give him my address so I can reward him."

"Lee, you said?" Zhao raised a brow, looking around the Earth Kingdom noble and trying to find _Lee. _"I understand. I'll have my men look for him. What did he look like?"

"Like one of you," Shung said. "He was a firebender, having those golden eyes. And he had this… this bad scar on his face."

Zhao froze, narrowing his eyes at Master Shung as he stepped closer. Keeping his hands clasped behind his back, bringing his face closer to the noble, who felt his personal space quickly violated as he tried to step back from Ozai's right hand man.

"A scar? What did it look like?"

Shung quickly composed himself, taking another step back. "It covered most of the left side of his face. His hair and hood hid it, but I can see why he wears that hood."

"And you said his name was Lee, correct?"

Shung nodded, to which Zhao turned away from a scowl. He knew that this was something he needed to report to Ozai. Zhao knew who this _Lee_ really was. There was only one person who had that scar. Zhao was there to witness it, having been by Ozai's family for years now. And Zhao knew that _Lee_ was an alias that an old uncle from the Fire Nation always used to use when playing Pai Sho.

"Master Shung," Zhao quickly calmed himself. "If you still have your ticket and wish to proceed, we can head to the Fire Tower now and you can collect your reward."

"Of course," the noble said, reaching into his robe to retrieve his ticket.

Zhao raised a brow as he watched the noble being to frantically search every pocket on his robe and on his pants. He was getting flustered, turning around and looking on the ground. Shung sighed, shaking his head as he turned towards Zhao, shrugging his shoulders high and then letting them slump.

"I must have lost it during all of this commotion," Shung said.

"No, Master Shung, you didn't," Zhao drawled, turning on his heel and walking away.

"What does that mean?"

Zhao chuckled, stopping and nodding once to his guards to return to the Palace of Caldera. "It means that that man's real name is not Lee."

Shung chuckled nervously now, raising his brow. "What is his name then?"

"His name is Zuko," Zhao hissed. "He's the exiled son of Father Ozai. And I can tell you this much, he wasn't saving you from the goodness of his heart."

* * *

"Are you sure of this, Zhao?"

Ozai's voice carried venom on every word as he looked down from his dais, staring intently at Zhao, who was kneeling in front of him. Zhao had quickly went from the destroyed stage to the Palace of Caldera.

"Yes, Father Ozai," Zhao said. "Master Shung of the Earth Kingdom said that this 'Lee' character had a scar on the left side of his face.

"So, Zuko has finally returned," Ozai said, nodding as the flames around him rose and fell with every breath.

"Should we tell Princess Azula?" Zhao suggested.

"No. She has her own thing to worry about with the water tribe girl. She doesn't need to deal with these distractions."

Zhao nodded. "I understand. And what of Zuko, Father Ozai?"

"Let's see how this plays out," Ozai declared. "If we need to do it, we can always send Shaw after him."

* * *

"So, when are you planning to go to Fire Tower?"

Zuko pondered Piandao's question as he stared down at the ticket. It was the only way he could get into the pagoda tower. Part of him was still lingering on how dumb Master Shung was. Zuko managed to steal the ticket without any little effort. He smirked at the thought of the noble arriving to Fire Tower and not having his ticket anymore.

"Tomorrow seems like the best bet," Zuko finally answered. "The quicker I can get out of here, the better."

"May I ask you something, Zuko?"

The firebender chuckled, nodding as he already knew what the question was going to be about.

"Do you ever think about your mother?"

The smirk vanished as he snapped his head up at Piandao. That was not the question he was expecting from his weapons teacher.

"Why?" Zuko narrowed his eyes, regaining his composure.

Piandao shrugged, folding his arms over his chest. "I was just curious. Do you know what happened to her?"

Zuko frowned, dropping his head as he began thinking of the last night he ever saw his mother. It was a rainy night, Zuko remembered. She had come into his room in the middle of the night, and spoke to him. She insisted that she loved him and that someday, she would return for him and save him from Ozai. But, that day never came. And Zuko would never escape hell.

"Ozai said she died," Zuko quickly said, shaking his head.

"And do you believe that?"

The exile thought about it for a moment, his eyes flickering around before he let out a rush of air.

"No," Zuko replied. "I know she's alive. She told me she would come back for me and save me from Ozai."

"Your mother was a strong woman, Zuko. Always remember that."

The firebender shook his head. "She wasn't a strong woman. She _is_ a strong woman."

The swords master said nothing, only nodded as Zuko lowered his head, turning away as the memories began to come back once again.

Zuko kept his head down, not letting Piandao see the tears that were coming down his face. He nodded once, giving Piandao his thanks and listened as the weapons master walked off. Once Zuko was alone, he fisted his pants in his hands, sniffling and holding back a sob as he pictured his mother in front of him again. He wanted her to comfort him, let him that everything was going to be okay and that he would be gone from this nightmare. In that moment, he swore he could feel her touch on his shoulders.

Little did he know, there was someone else wishing the very same thing in the large city of Caldera.


	6. The Girl in the Tower

Hood draped loosely over his head, Zuko marched down the streets towards the Fire Tower. He had waited a few more days before he would go and visit the Fire Tower. Unaware that his presence was already known to Zhao and Father Ozai, Zuko continued to be careful with his identity, wanting to make sure no one would recognize him. His eyes remained focused on the Fire Tower as he walked through the streets. Zuko's heart was racing as he stopped just a few blocks away, his eyes narrowing as he watched Zhao standing there, talking to someone. He made sure to stay hidden from the guards, trying to figure out who he was talking to.

The figure walked back inside the pagoda tower before Zuko could see their face, causing Zuko to growl slightly. His golden eyes moved back towards Zhao, who turned to the other side and walked back with his guards to the palace. After waiting for about five minues, Zuko began walking once again. He dug out the ticket from the inside of his robe, holding it in his hands as he came closer to the entrance to the tower. The guards turned to him, clenching their spears with a slightly tighter grip as they narrowed their eyes at Zuko.

"What is your business here?" One guard asked.

Zuko sighed, extending his hand outwards to the guard. "I'm here to claim my prize and visit Lady Katara."

The guards took the ticket, raising their brows underneath their masks as they looked back up at Zuko.

"I thought Master Shung from the Earth Kingdom was the winner?"

Zuko quickly nodded. "Yes, I'm aware of that. My name is Lee, and I saved him from the rebels that attacked the raffle a few days ago. He said he would give me anything I wanted, so he gave me this ticket."

It wasn't an exact lie. Shung _did_ tell Zuko that he could have anything he want, and Zuko took what he wanted: the ticket he was presenting to the guard. Zuko gave the guard a quick fake smile as he continued to look over the ticket before handing it back to Zuko.

"Very well," the guard spoke as he turned and opened the door. "You have one hour to explore all of the tower."

The firebender nodded his thanks before walking past the guards into the tower. The door slammed shut behind him, Zuko lowering his hood and looking up at the small statue of Ozai that loomed over him. He frowned at the caring look they etched into the metal to depict Ozai. It was all a lie; a simple façade that all the people of Caldera were beginning to see and were angered by it. He only sighed, turning and beginning to walk up the stairs.

The walls were covered in different pictures of Katara. Zuko kept his eyes moving, seeing her in different poses. One of them caught Zuko's attention. She was standing to the side, her hand reaching for her neck and staring up at the moon. Zuko couldn't tell what she was touching, but her face was painted with a longing look. He had to admit something about her eyes calmed his nerves and brought him peace. It was almost intoxicating, in a way, just like the ocean.

He shook it off, continuing up the stairs, seeing that the paintings had changed, now displaying her waterbending powers. Zuko narrowed his eyes at one, which showed her standing over a cliff, her hands raised and large waves rising up from the ocean. But then more thoughts started to come to Zuko as he turned away from the painting. He furrowed his brow together, turning back and staring at the painting again.

"Why would Ozai hold a waterbender captive?" Zuko asked himself.

Didn't Ozai think the other races were lower than he was?

None of this made sense.

Zuko eventually stopped walking, seeing that there were no more stairs to go up. He figured he was maybe about half way up the pagoda tower, seeing a door in front of him. There was a lever on the side, to which Zuko pulled. A groaning sound could be heard just as the doors slid open, revealing a carriage. Zuko realized it was a lift, stepping inside it and pulling another lever, startling himself as he felt the carriage rock before it began ascending up the rest of the tower.

"Welcome to the Fire Tower, raffle winner," a voice came over a speaker that made Zuko jump back and create flames in his palms. "Congratulations on winning this month's Fire Raffle. Once you step off the elevator, you will find more flights of stairs. They will take you to the Observation Room, where you'll be able to see Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

He frowned, knowing that Ozai's voice was on that speaker. He turned away, snuffing the flames out and waiting for the lift to stop. Once it did, the doors slid open in front of Zuko, letting him walk out and straight up the flight of stairs. This was the time he decided to ditch his robe, revealing his black shozoku. The pants weren't as loose as traditional shozokus, wanting to be able to more more fluidly. He made sure the obi sash was tied tightly around his waist, raising the mask portion of the zukin, leaving the rest bundled around his neck.

Zuko began increasing his movements down up the stairs, surprised that there were no guards up here. Did they let the raffle winners up here all the time with no guards? Zuko narrowed his eyes as he eventually saw the Observation Room. Pushing the door open, he saw it was a small room with a large window. Zuko figured it was a one-way mirror, or else Katara might've seen him walking in.

On the other side of the room, Zuko finally laid eyes on the waterbender. She was beautiful. His golden eyes watched as she let her dark brown hair flow down to her back. She was moving elegantly, almost as if practicing some of her waterbending forms. Her eyes caught his attention, amazed on how deep of a blue they were. She stopped her movements, looking towards his direction. He froze up, forgetting that only he could see her and that she couldn't see him. It was like she could just feel the presence of a stranger.

"Whoever is there," Katara's voice came out now. "I hope you know that you won't be seeing anything. Pig."

Zuko smirked under his mask, turning around and walking back out of the Observation Room. He looked out one of the windows, seeing they were fairly high up in the air. Zuko carefully pushed the window open, ignoring the quick gust of air that hit him in the face. Quickly, Zuko climbed out the window. With a sigh, he propelled himself up into the air onto the next level with his fire, only using small bursts. It was the last level, and most likely the storage floor. He kicked open the window, landing inside with a small thud. Zuko stepped carefully, not wanting to disturb the tower and let his presence be known to anyone.

_"And how are you today, peasant?"_

He froze at that voice. It was faint, coming from the floor underneath him. It was a voice he hadn't heard in years, and was one that he wasn't expecting to here anytime soon in Caldera. A chill ran down his spine as he tried to keep his composure.

Azula.

"I'm doing just great," Katara's voice came next.

"My father has grown very unappreciative of your attitude, waterbender," Azula drawled. "I mean, especially with all the hospitality we've provided for you."

"Hospitality?" Katara snapped, which Zuko imagined she was scowling. "Keeping me locked up in a tower for five years is hospitality?"

Zuko's eyes widened. Five years? That means she was here just after he left. Zuko frowned, knowing that he might have been able to save her from all of this before it even started. He shook away the thoughts, crouching down and continuing to listen to their conversation.

"Would you rather be living in that tiny little hut in a world filled of nothing with ice?" Azula drawled, her boots pacing.

"That tiny little hut was my home, _princess._"

A smirk danced on Zuko's lips; this girl truly knew how to get under his sister's skin. It was silent for a while, only the sound of furious footsteps. There was a low thud and the sound of a hand meeting a face. Zuko guessed that Katara's comment had infuriated Azula, and she took it out on the waterbender. Give it for Azula to always have the shortest temper out of everyone in the Fire Nation.

"How dare you mock me, you fucking peasant," Azula's voice hissed. "You better well learn respect soon, waterbender. Or else there will be consequences."

"You will have respect when it is earned."

There was another slap, making Zuko flinch at this one. He listened to the footsteps, hearing the door close and the footsteps fading away. The sound of crying could be heard as he knew that Katara was barely holding it together, after that. He knew how wicked Azula was and the lengths she would go to in order to get what she wants. A low sigh escaped his lips as he began looking for some way in order to get into the room below him. He was growing more frustrated as he failed to find a way.

"I could just burn a hole," Zuko whispered to himself, staring at the floor.

As the thought built up in his head, there was a creaking sound that made him froze. If he heard that, then surely Katara below him heard that as well. He was scared to move as the creaking sound continued, growing louder as realization hit Zuko in the face. Looking down, the sound of the floor cracking underneath him made Zuko scream out loud. The air around him tore as he flipped over end, his hands reaching to grab something.

His hands soon found a ledge, which was the railing of a small little second floor sitting area that Katara would spend the day staring out at Caldera. The wood panels around him crashed on the floor below them. Zuko breathed out, slowly pulling himself up. His golden eyes locked onto Katara's eyes, who was staring with wide eyes at Zuko. Before he could say anything, she let out a scream, startling Zuko and forcing him to lose his grip. He fell on his back on a wood panel, shutting his eyes in pain.

"Fuck," Zuko whispered to himself as he opened his eyes.

If Zuko had waited another second to open his eyes, the book coming at his face would have hit him square in the forehead. He was able to roll out of the way, popping up to his feet as he saw the waterbender grabbing another book and throwing it at him. Zuko swatted it away just as another one was flying towards him. His eyes widened as he was able to roll away from that one as well.

"Would you cut it out?" Zuko cried, ducking another book that came flying at his head.

"Who are you?" Katara almost yelled, beginning to come down the stairs.

More books and other objects came flying his way. Zuko silently was glad that there was no source of water in here, or else he wouldn't be able to just swat these things away. She was getting closer now, abandoning the idea of throwing the books and was now using them to swat at Zuko. The firebender breathed out steam after the fifth hit, reaching up and snatching her wrists, staring at her with wide eyes. He was fuming with anger and she was shaking with fear and... and something else Zuko couldn't quite figure out. His mind was to occupied with being hit by books repeatedly.

"Would you stop hitting me?" Zuko snapped.

"Who are you?" Katara asked again, narrowing her eyes.

Zuko swallowed slowly, unsure if she would believe him. "Believe it or not, I'm actually here to rescue you."

"Rescue me?"

The firebender nodded slowly, gently releasing his grip on her as he took one step back. She was staring at him with wide eyes, slightly making Zuko felt just a bit uncomfortable. Zuko raised a brow as she dropped the book and stepped forward towards him. Before he knew what was happening, Katara had jumped into his chest and wrapped him in a deep hug. Zuko didn't know what to really do, only stand there with wide eyes. As he processed what was happening, she quickly pulled back, blushing deeply and looking away from him.

"Sorry," she quickly mumbled. "I just wanted to make sure it was real this time."

"I… I understand," Zuko said, reaching up and pulling down his zukin.

Katara looked up now, a frown appearing on her face. Zuko was about to ask what was wrong, but was shocked as her hand reached up and touched his scar. Like a reflex, Zuko stepped back. He had a horrified look on his face, matching the one that Katara had. They both relaxed quickly, Katara looking down at the ground in a state of shame. His breathing had quickened, the memory slowly prickling his mind as he turned away from Katara, trying to steady himself and his breathing altogether.

"I'm sorry," Katara quickly mumbled.

"It's… it's okay," Zuko sighed, shaking away the memory that licked the back of his mind.

"So, who are you, anyways?" Katara asked, quickly trying to erase that awkwardness.

"Oh… I'm… I'm Zuko."

Why didn't he lie? Why did he give her his real name? Zuko felt comfortable with her as she gave him a small smile, nodding her head quickly.

"I'm Katara," she spoke with softness, smiling widely.

Zuko finally now noticed the red mark on Katara's cheek from where Azula had slapped her. He frowned at the mark, fighting the urge to caress her cheek as he stared intently at her.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked.

Katara must have known what he was referring to, quickly turning away from the firebender. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Zuko nodded slowly, raising his mask back over his mouth and walking towards the glass where the Observation Room was. He rubbed his hands together, building up heat as he pressed his hands up against the glass. He smirked softly as the glass began to burn a bright yellow-red color and start to melt.

"Please, stop doing that."

He flinched at Katara's voice turning around and raising a brow at Katara. She was staring up at the ceiling. Zuko shook it off, pressing his hands against the glass once more and letting the heat begin to build up. A low rumble echoed around him, but Zuko ignored it, figuring it was just the wind pressing against the Fire Tower.

"No, don't come. It's okay."

Katara was yelling now, causing him to flinch away again from the glass. Zuko whipped his head around, the confusion building now as Katara had a fearful expression on her face.

"What? Who are you talking to?" Zuko asked.

A low roar from outside the tower answered Zuko's question. His heart sunk, quickly walking to Katara and grabbing her wrist, leading her to the glass and finishing what he started. The glass melted away as Zuko stepped back, the roaring beginning to grow louder as Zuko lifted Katara through the glass. He followed suit, narrowly missing as the wall was smashed in behind him. Zuko turned back around, seeing the destruction that they had barely avoided. Zuko was breathing heavily as he whipped his gaze on the girl underneath his body.

"What the fuck was that?" Zuko roared.

"My guardian," Katara answered, looking frantically as the roar echoed around them once more.

"Time to go," the firebended ordered.

Zuko grabbed Katara's hand, blasting a ray of fire with his free hand, blowing the door away. They flew down the flights of stairs. Around them, the roaring continued and Zuko could see large claws piercing the walls just behind them. He yelled at Katara to call the lift as they reached the door. She pulled the lever, Zuko looking back and see the claws dragging across the wall.

"Get down!"

The firebender pulled down the waterbender as the claws raced over them. Zuko cursed under his breath as he looked down at the blue eyes of Katara.

"What do you mean by the guardian?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know," Katara breathed. "I just know that he watches me. I don't know why… I don't even know why they kept me here."

The wall in front of them was ripped away, Zuko seeing the carriage lift flying over Caldera. Sitting up, Zuko slid back as he came face to face with a large yellow eye. Zuko quickly raised his hands, firing a stream of fire into whatever it was staring at them. The roar died down, Zuko dropping his arms and readying another stream, blasting it with all the force he could gather.

"You're a firebender?" Katara asked.

"Been one all my life, yeah," Zuko groaned as the roar came again, the eye disappearing.

Zuko stopped his fire, his eyes widening as he watched the blue skin of the beast fly past the hole. Turning around, he saw the large hole that led all the way down to the bottom of the pagoda tower. He could see guards already coming in, marching up the stairs. Zuko cursed under his breath as he turned back around, gasping as he saw Katara standing in front of the hole.

"Please, stop this," Katara was screaming into the air. "You don't have to do all of this. Let me go."

Was she speaking to that thing?

Zuko stepped behind her, looking up and seeing the blue beast. It was a dragon, circling high above the tower, its golden eyes looking down at them. Zuko looked around, trying to find out where it would live. The cave of the volcano? His eyes turned to the side, seeing what appeared to be another flying beast coming towards them. He narrowed his eyes, watching as it flew past them. Zuko locked onto the guy that was flying the beast; it was the airbender with the blue arrow tattoos from the raffle.

_Aang._

An idea came to Zuko as he turned Katara to face him. She was breathing heavily, flinching as there was another roar coming closer. Zuko peeked out, seeing the large creature with the airbender coming back towards the tower. Zuko only hoped that this airbender knew what Zuko was planning.

"Do you trust me?" Zuko asked.

"Do I have a choice?"

The dragon began its descent towards the pagoda tower.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Zuko asked again.

"Yes, Zuko, I trust you."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, ignoring her screams as he jumped off the tower. The wind was howling around as he turned so his back would hit the creature's saddle first. His eyes widened at the sight of the blue dragon, watching it grow larger as it got closer to them. Zuko reached one hand out, using a stream of fire to divert the dragon's course, only by a small distance. The dragon corrected its course, flying down even faster. Just as Zuko was ready to fire again, his back slammed onto the leather saddle, and the dragon soared past them.

"Appa, yip yip!"

The creature, named Appa, growled and flapped its tail and took off. As Katara rolled off of Zuko, the firebender rose to his feet, looking back and seeing the dragon bursting through another building with a puff of fire. As the fire got closer, Zuko spun on his heel, slicing through the air and cutting the fire in half, grimacing as it went around the flying creature. The dragon gave one last roar before it gave up its chase, turning around and flying back to its cave within the side of the volcano that Caldera was built within. With a sigh, Zuko turned around to the airbender, who was standing up, twirling his arms around and controlling a cloud that encircled the large beast.

"Thanks," Zuko huffed.

"No problem," Aang said, turning around and offering a smile. "The Blind Bandit was right about sending me here with Appa."

Zuko raised a brow. "Really? The Blind Bandit sent you?"

"Yeah. The Blind Bandit sent me," Aang said. "She said something about something big going on in Caldera and sent me. I just didn't know that it was going to be a big dragon and you two falling out of the sky."

Katara leaned closer to Zuko, raising a brow. "What is he talking about?"

"The uprising," Zuko whispered to her as he turned to the airbender. "Aang, if I may ask, where are you taking us?"

"How do you know my name?" Aang asked, narrowing his eyes.

Zuko sighed, lowering his head along with his mask. "I was at the raffle when you and the other rebels attacked."

"I knew it," Aang beamed. "I knew there was something familiar about you."

"Where are you taking us?" Katara blurted out, stepping forward and trying to keep her balance, leaning on Zuko.

"I had directions to bring you back to our hideout," Aang said with a frown. "Silver Wolf and Blind Bandit said that I had to make sure you were there, Zuko."

Zuko's eyes widened. "How do _you_ know _my_ name?"

"It's what the Grand Master said," Aang said with a shrug. "He told the Silver Wolf the boy with the scar is Zuko. You're the only guy I know with a scar… no offence."

Zuko chuckled, shaking his head and sitting back in the saddle with his arms cross. Of course his uncle was behind this. He was the one who gave the uprising the information about the raffle and when to attack it. He had to tell himself to no longer be surprised by things like this anymore.

"What is going on here?" Katara asked again, looking from Aang and Zuko.

"Just sit down," Zuko added. "We're going to have to deal with this eventually anyways."

Katara sighed, giving up and sitting next to Zuko. He raised a brow on how close she had gotten to him, but he said nothing of it, watching as her eyes closed and her head fell onto his shoulder and let sleep come over her.

"Where are we going anyways?" Zuko asked.

"To the Fire Nation," Aang said, turning back around and begin to direct Appa in the large direction.


	7. The Uprising

"Wait, I thought Caldera was Fire Nation territory?"

Zuko shook his head at Katara, who was still sitting next to him, watching him with curious eyes as he tried to explain how Caldera was a city within a volcano within the Fire Nation, but didn't belong to Fire Nation. The rest of the islands were Fire Nation, however, and that was where all Fire Nation citizens lived now. The Fire Nation Capital was the new home of the current Fire Lord, some delegate that bought his way to power after Ozai was declared Father of Caldera. The waterbender nodded once, somewhat understanding Zuko's words. The firebender sighed leaning back into the saddle with his hands behind his head. His eyes locked onto hers, seeing the wonder that was hiding behind them.

"So, which part of the Fire Nation are you from, Zuko?" Katara asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm, uh… I'm actually from Ba Sing Se," Zuko quickly lied, turning away from the blue-eyed girl.

"Firebenders live in Ba Sing Se?" Aang questioned from the top of Appa's head. "That's strange."

Zuko scoffed, turning to stare at the airbender. "What's strange is that this large bison can fly."

"That's why it's called a sky-bison," Aang said, a hint of slight annoyance in his words.

Zuko smirked at the airbender's fluster, looking over the saddle. They were flying towards the colonies, where it wouldn't raise any alarms if some random teenagers lived there. The colonies were the equivalent of the Lower Ring at Ba Sing Se. The lowest and poorest of the people lived there. Some came to Fire Nation because to escape the poor state of where they lived; the slums of the colonies weren't as bad as other nations, which some people found quite surprising. Zuko knew that, seeing the desolation from other nations when the Royal Family of Caldera would visit the other nations. The rest of the world was in ruins compared to the lowly colonies of the Fire Nation. A frown pulled at his lips as he continued to stare at the ruins of his old home.

"You guys are taking a huge risk living out in the colonies," Zuko observed, seeing an island come into view. "Whose idea was it anyways for that?"

"Sok-… I mean the Silver Wolf's idea," Aang said.

"Why do the Silver Wolf and Blind Bandit get names, but you don't, Aang?" Katara asked, playing with some strands of her hair.

The airbender only shrugged, keeping his eyes focused out on the horizon in front of them. "I'm not really sure. They tried calling me Twinkletoes once… didn't really stick that much."

"Twinkletoes?" Zuko snorted, raising his good brow.

"Exactly," Aang said, trying to tune out the laughter from the waterbender and firebender in Appa's saddle.

Zuko let out a heavy sigh, finding it odd how easy it was to just relax at this time. The wind was flowing through his hair, pushing it back and revealing the extent of his scar. He was staring out into the sky, but he could feel Katara staring at his scar. Something about it didn't freak him out, like it usually did. From the corner of his eye, he watched her hand reach for his face, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of the scar. Zuko closed his eyes at her touch, feeling the coldness of her waterbending hands against the warmth of his firebending skin.

"We're here," Aang yelled, making both benders jump up away from each other.

The firebender looked over the edge of the saddle, his eyes narrowing as they were descending towards a large cave. He snorted, not really surprised to see them hiding inside a cave. Appa let out a welcoming roar, causing some of the rebels to walk out of the cave and wave out towards the large sky-bison. Zuko looked back into the saddle, watching Katara have a slightly worried expression on her face.

"Hey," Zuko whispered. "It'll be okay, don't worry."

"I'm not worried," Katara snapped, causing Zuko to raise a brow. "Sorry, I just mean I'm fine."

Zuko nodded slowly, feeling Appa land with a thud. Almost as quickly as he stood up, he felt something cold slap onto his hands. Katara yelled out as well as she was hit with it too. They both looked down, seeing metal cuffs covering their hands. He raised a brow, looking up as he saw the Blind Bandit, wearing her yellow and green clothes with her milky eyes staring intently at them. Or at least he thought that was the Blind Bandit. Was she a metalbender? Zuko knew about firebenders being able to lightningbend and waterbenders being able to bloodbend, but didn't know about other benders being able to have secondary powers.

"Where's Silver Wolf?" Aang asked as he slowly descended to the ground.

"Out on a mission," the blind girl snarked. "You know how Snoozles is, always wanting to keep fighting."

"Snoozles?" Zuko snickered quietly to Katara, who giggled with him.

"Take these two to the holding area," the Blind Bandit snapped.

"We have a holding area?"

Zuko smirked as he saw the blind girl roll her eyes and turn and punch the airbender in the arm. He had to admit, he liked how brash she was. It sort of reminded him of his sister, before he left and Ozai corrupted her.

"I'm going to make one, Twinkletoes."

Aang groaned. "I thought we weren't going to call me that anymore."

"That's what you thought," the blind girl snickered.

Zuko, as best as he could, slid down the side of Appa, turning back as he watched Katara slide down after him. They both turned and stared at the Blind Bandit, Zuko gasping as he realized that she was truly blind. She said nothing, however, only scoffing at the two benders and pointing to two men behind them. They shoved the two benders, Zuko looking over at Katara, who only nodded that she was okay. The firebender turned his golden eyes on the other men, glaring at them as they only snickered loudly.

The holding area, or really what was a part of the cave that had metal bars forming a cage, was put near the back of the cave. Zuko only sighed, sitting down and keeping his golden eyes locked on Katara. She was standing in front of the bars, watching the rebels all interact with each other.

"What is it?" Zuko prompted.

Katara shrugged, not bothering to look at the firebender. "What do you think they're going to do to us?"

"This Silver Wolf sounds like the leader," Zuko said, calmly. "If anything, nothing will happen until he gets back."

Katara was about to speak again, but stopped as the Blind Bandit and Aang walked over to them. She took a step back, keeping her eyes focused on them. Zuko stood slowly, narrowing his eyes at the airbender and the earthbender.

"What do you want?" Zuko snapped, his attitude quickly changing.

"You're a firebender, right? From Caldera?" the blind girl asked.

"No," Zuko said. "I'm from Ba Sing Se."

Aang looked over at the blind girl, who nodded once. It was a slow nod, almost as if she was hesitant to do it. Zuko raised a brow, confused on this small little action between them. He quickly shook it off as Aang was already asking more questions.

"Why were you in the Fire Tower?" Aang asked.

Zuko nodded towards Katara. "I was getting her out of there."

Again, Aang looked over at the Blind Bandit, who nodded again, crossing her arms over her chest and knitting her brows together. Zuko narrowed his eyes again, trying to figure out what was happening. Why did Aang keep looking at her after every time Zuko had answered a question?

"Why were you in the Fire Tower?" Aang asked, looking at the waterbender.

"I was put there against my will," Katara snapped.

"She's… lying, but not lying," the girl said.

"Okay, enough," Zuko snapped. "What the hell is she doing?"

"Oh, she can feel your heartbeats and can tell if you're lying or not," Aang answered. "It's helped us a lot since Toph joined the uprising."

"Toph? Who's Toph?" Katara asked.

The blind girl groaned, turning towards Aang and punching him in the arm again. Zuko watched as they bickered about the importance of code names and hiding who they really were, quickly figuring out that she was Toph. He looked over at Katara, who was also very confused. Turning back to Toph and Aang, he raised a brow, leaning closer to the bars.

"We're not part of Father Ozai and his army, if that's what you're wondering," Zuko said. "I'm not a spy or anything like that."

"He's telling the truth," Toph grumbled. "This isn't really fun."

"Fun? You think interrogation is fun?"

"Against any Caldera scum, yeah, it is," Toph sneered.

"I'm not from Caldera," Zuko snapped.

"Okay, now you're lying… but except you're not," Toph said.

Aang turned towards her, raising a brow as he rubbed his bald head, scratching the back of his neck. "How does that work?"

"He's not from Caldera… but he's not from Ba Sing Se either," Toph answered.

"Zuko is not a liar," Katara snapped.

"How can we know that, Madame Fussy Britches?" Toph snapped. "What if he really is a spy and knew about my ability?"

Zuko growled, breathing out a small fume of fire as he glared wickedly at the two benders in front of them. "Let us prove it then." He hadn't even noticed the look that Katara was giving Toph at her new nickname.

"Give us some time," Toph snapped, turning away and pulling Aang with her.

"Zuko?"

The firebender turned his attention to Katara, softening his stare as she looked at him with worried eyes.

"What did she mean by you're not from Caldera and not from Ba Sing Se?"

Zuko sighed, turning around and walking back to a small little rock, sitting down on it. He was going to run a hand over his hair, but remembered his hands were covered in metal. Looking down, he tried to figure out the right things to say to the waterbender.

"I _am_ from the Fire Nation, originally," Zuko said, figuring it wasn't really a lie. "But my parents moved to Caldera when I was little. Some things happened to me… and I left to Ba Sing Se. I made sure that Caldera would always be part of my past."

He could hear Katara making her way over towards him. Looking up, he watched as she squatted in front of him. His golden eyes stared deeply into her blue eyes, seeing her reach to his face. Zuko was expecting her touch, but only felt the cold tickle of the metal cuffs. They brushed over his scar, causing him to suck in a breath and retract slightly, but not fully.

"Is… is that how you got this scar?" Katara asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Zuko wasn't sure why he wasn't mad or having one of his tantrums like he did when Iroh would speak about his scar. Even with the metal blocking them, Zuko felt Katara touching him. He nodded slowly, watching her drop her arms and lean in closer. He froze as he felt her lips against his scar. He turned his eyes on her as her touch faded away and she pulled her lips back. He silently wished that she hadn't pulled away from him.

"Thank you for saving me," Katara said, blushing deeply as she looked away.

"You're welcome," Zuko said, smiling softly.

* * *

It was days before Toph and Aang finally made their way back towards the holding area. Zuko was sleeping, rudely awakened as Toph banged on the metal bars. He quickly shot up, ready to shoot fire… only to quickly remember he was being restrained. Katara was already sitting next to him, looking up at the two benders with narrowed eyes. Zuko groaned as he lowered his arms, keeping his eyes locked on both of them.

"What do you want?" Katara asked.

"We sent word to Silver Wolf that we had the two of you in our custody," Toph explained. "He'll decide what happens to you two when we get back."

"You still don't believe us, don't you?" Zuko asked. "You still think that we're part of Father Ozai's forces."

Toph stepped closer to the bars. "Am I supposed to believe that you broke out blue eyes over there on your own?"

Zuko nodded slowly. "Yes."

"Maybe he's right, Toph," Aang suggested. "Don't you think they would've made an attempt to get out already?"

The blind earthbender crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the ground and blowing out a puff of air. "I guess you _could_ be right."

"Let us prove to you that we're not part of Caldera's forces," Zuko snapped.

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

"I don't know," Zuko shrugged. "Send us to take out something that stands against you or something."

Aang and Toph exchanged looks at each other. "We do have that mission that no one wanted," the airbender spoke.

"The one to the Red Light Distrcit?" Toph raised a brow.

"The what?" Katara asked.

Aang turned back towards the two other benders. "A few weeks ago, one of our members was caught behind enemy lines. We've heard intel that she's being held in a brothel in the Red Light District in Caldera."

"There's a Red Light District?" Zuko asked, raising a brow.

Toph nodded. "She was one of our best in stealth. No one wanted to go take this mission, since there are always a load of Caldera dicks there."

"Fine," Zuko snapped. "We'll take it."

"Really?" Aang and Toph asked.

Zuko nodded, standing up straight and sticking his hands through the bars. He narrowed his golden eyes at the two rebels, speaking in a low voice. "Whatever it takes to prove who we are. Now get these off of us."

Toph was hesitant at first, but slowly walked towards Zuko and Katara. She grabbed the edge of the cuffs on Zuko, ripping them off and letting Zuko's hands breathe. The earthbender did the same to Katara, who nodded her thanks. The two stepped back as Toph lowered the metal bars, letting them walk out.

"Aang will drop you off," Toph ordered. "You'll have three hours to get it done."

* * *

"I still can't believe there's a Red Light District."

Katara only snickered at Zuko's comments as they looked up at Aang and Appa taking off. Zuko raised the zukin over his mouth and nose, leading Katara deeper into the shadows among the filthy district. He began to feel like he was back in Ba Sing Se, remembering all the nights that he spent underneath that blue mask, somewhat wishing that this was all a dream and he would wake up in his bed back in Ba Sing Se.

"What are we looking for again?" Katara asked.

"They said it's a brothel called the Sleazy Lion-Bear," Zuko answered, staying as quiet as possible. "We're looking for a girl. Her name is Suki."

Zuko raised a hand to silence Katara as some Caldera guards walked past them into the streets. He looked up, seeing a line of brothels that people were walking in and out of every few seconds. Zuko shook his head, not seeing the one they needed and continued to weave through alleys and to different streets, Zuko keeping an eye out for the Sleazy Lion-Bear.

"Is that it?" Katara asked.

The firebender looked up, seeing the sign above him. He nodded to Katara moving back to the shadows and lowering his zukin.

"We need a plan," Zuko admitted.

"I thought you already had one?"

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. "I do… but it involves you posing as…"

He didn't need to finish for her to understand what Zuko was implying. With a tight thin line set at her lips, she nodded, knowing that this would help this poor Suki escape this hell. Zuko nodded once, turning around and leading her through the street and into the Sleazy Lion-Bear. The music was loud and there was a musky smell that lingered in the air, making both of them sick to their stomachs. Zuko looked up, seeing girls dancing on stages, trying to find Suki.

"Can I help you?" A burly man stepped in front of them.

"Yes, this is Asami," Zuko quickly said. "She's looking for a job."

The man was looking over Katara, Zuko growing angry at the man's lustful look rising in his eyes. Katara did her best to keep a sultry smile on her face, even as the man's greasy fingers ran over her cheeks. Neither of them noticed Zuko pulling out his dagger, always kept secret in his boot. It wasn't until the man felt the tip of the blade in his neck that he realized that he was in trouble. Zuko stared at him with fierce eyes, leaning in closer and speaking lowly.

"You will bring me the girl known as Suki," Zuko ordered. "Or I will drive this fucking blade into your neck."

The man didn't take the warning seriously. He lunged for Zuko, wrapping his hands around his neck and pushing him to the ground. Once Zuko hit the ground, he used his other hand to create his fire, launching his flame into the side of the man's head. It was the loud scream that got the attention of everyone now, all looking in that direction. Zuko was up on his feet, looking up at all the girls.

"Suki!" Zuko yelled, seeing a girl in a pink wrappings and no underwear look up at them. "Katara, it's her."

The waterbender was already moving through the crowd. Zuko froze, realizing this was the first time that he had seen her waterbending. It was magical. She dug water from all the drinks, swirling it around her body as a shield. She flicked off little ice daggers from the water, knocking men back as she was clearing a path. Zuko watched her slide underneath one of the Caldera guards, raising a tentacle and throwing the man across the room.

The girl known as Suki immediately jumped down, Katara grabbing a discarded robe and wrapping it around the girl, noticing her face was painted an assortment of colors.

"Zuko, I got her, let's go!"

The firebender took his turn now to show off his bending skills. As everyone turned towards him, Zuko leapt into the air. Spinning his body, he kicked an arc of flames around his body, shooting them out. Those who were non-benders were pushed backwards while the firebenders easily slipped through the flames. As soon as Zuko landed on his feet, he was punching fireballs towards his opponents. Two were taken down, allowing Katara and Suki time to get around him.

Once they were outside into the streets, Zuko fired one last stream of fire into the brothel, setting it ablaze. He ran, saying no words as he grabbed Katara's hand and forced her and Suki to keep up with his speed. He was frantically looking up, trying to spot the large sky-bison for them to get out of here.

_"It's her!"_

"Zuko, they're gaining on us!" Katara cried out.

His golden eyes flickered back, seeing three guards propelling themselves after them. Zuko threw Katara and Suki forward, yelling at them to keep running. Zuko brandished his fire whips, swinging down with force and splitting the three guards apart. One lost his speed, tumbling and crashing into the side of a building. The sound of bones cracking made Zuko flinch slightly. The last two guards charged at Zuko now, flipping into the air and launching their fire at each other.

Zuko was able to slice through one, but couldn't reach the other one. His eyes widened, picturing his father's eyes behind the flames.

_"Zuko!"_

Katara's voice made him snap back to reality, watching as a stream of water pushed back the fire. Zuko turned back seeing Katara running towards him with water tentacles on her arms. She flipped over Zuko, releasing one wave of water into the guards. As she landed, she squeezed her hands together, the water freezing instantly with the guards trapped inside the ice.

"Thanks…" Zuko whispered as she turned to face him.

"I owed you one."

The sound of a sky-bison roar ended their conversation. They turned around, seeing Appa land in front of them. Aang was already yelling to get on, forming small tornados and lifting the trio onto Appa's saddle. The sky-bison took off, Zuko standing up and deflecting the blasts of fire that were coming after them.

Once they were out of harm's way, Zuko exhaled and collapsed into the saddle. He looked over, seeing Katara comforting Suki. The two didn't know each other, but she was already doing a good job in making sure that she was okay. He looked up, his mind still latched on the events that just happened.

_"It's her."_

Zuko wondered what they meant. The obvious answer was that they all knew she was the one in the Fire Tower. But it didn't make sense. It was just in the way they said it, like they _truly _knew who she was. Something made Zuko a bit uneasy as he kept his golden eyes on Katara, who finally noticed him and smiled towards him. Could he question her about it now? The way the guards looked at her: she was more than just a simple waterbender trapped in a pagoda tower. No, she had to be more than that. She just had to.

None of this made any sense.

"Why were you kept in that pagoda tower?"

Suki had fallen asleep, resting against the saddle and breathing evenly. Aang was too busy controlling Appa.

They were alone now.

"What?" Katara asked, turning her stare on Zuko.

"Why were you kept inside that pagoda tower?" Zuko asked again, sitting up and staring intently at the waterbender. "It can't just be that you were a waterbender."

She was silent for a while, only looking down as her hands played with her braids. Zuko scooted in front of her, tucking his hand under her chin and raising her head.

"I'm not mad or anything," Zuko spoke softly. "I just want to know why. Why are you so important to Father Ozai?"

"Because…"

Katara had trailed off, looking away and mumbling the last part of it. Zuko frowned, gently moving her head back to face him. She had tears in her eyes. He could see the pain that hung in the background, always casting a shadow as she spoke the words louder now. Zuko froze, his eyes widening as he stared at the blue-eyed girl in front of him. His hands dropped to his side, mouth hanging open as Katara looked away, not wanting to look at Zuko anymore.

"I'm the Avatar."

* * *

**A/N: Oh, shiiiiiitttt. Okay, so next chapter there's going to be a lot of backstory time and explaining everything. And for those who didn't see it coming, the clue was in the title. Aang was The Boy in the Iceberg and now Katara is The Girl in the Tower.**


	8. Revelations

They were silent the rest of the way. It wasn't that Zuko was angry or anything, but it was just a huge shock that was running through him. His golden eyes shifted up, seeing that this blue-eyed waterbender was actually the Avatar. She was responsible for bringing balance back to the world and helping the Four Sages create a peaceful city in Caldera. Katara was too busy fiddling with her braids to notice his stare. The two words still hung in the air as they began descending towards the rebel's hidden cave base. Appa let out a groan, causing Toph to walk out, her arms crossed over her chest. She didn't even flinch as the ground shook under the sky-bison's landing.

"Did you find her?" Toph asked.

"Yes," Zuko snapped, helping carry Suki down from the saddle.

Aang floated down underneath a spiral of air, a large grin on his face as he stepped in front of Toph. "Is Sokka here? He'd be happy to see Suki."

Zuko raised a brow, staring at Aang and Toph. "Sokka?"

"You idiot!" Toph snapped, punching Aang in the arm.

As the airbender rubbed his arm, Katara looked up, something different happening in her eyes. Zuko saw this, furrowing his brow as he looked over back at the bickering opposite benders. Sokka and Toph, the leaders of uprising. Zuko was aware that Sokka was supposed to be this genius strategist, only growing curious now to meet the man behind the Silver Wolf.

Toph sighed, giving up on her fight. "Whatever, at least Snoozles has his girlfriend back now."

Zuko's temper flared up instantly as he stepped forward, fists clenched at his sides and he breathed out a puff of smoke. If it wasn't for Katara placing a hand on his shoulder, he would've exploded with fire.

"Did you send us into the Red Light District to save his fucking girlfriend?" Zuko snapped, stepping forward.

Toph only shrugged. "Can it, Sparky. We had to see if you would really do anything to prove your story."

"We could've been killed!" Katara yelled.

"But you weren't," Toph snickered. "Besides, she's not just Sokka's girlfriend. Suki is also the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors."

The firebender said nothing, his face still fit with rage as he watched two of the other rebels carry Suki back inside the cave. He and Katara were led inside as well by the blind earthbender, back to their cell.

* * *

They were back in the holding area now after dinner. Toph had been generous enough to leave the metal cuffs off and make the holding area a little bigger for the two of them. Zuko sat down on a rock chair, making a small flicker of fire dance between his fingers. He could feel Katara watching him, knowing that there was an awkward tension between the two of them now. He snuffed it out, dropping his hands to his side.

"Zuko?"

He looked up, seeing Katara standing in front of him. "What?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Katara said, dropping her head. "It's just every time I mention it, I remember the nightmares."

"How long have you known that you've been the Avatar?" Zuko prompted, scooting over and allowing her to sit next to him.

Katara sighed as she sat down. "A long time."

"And why did you look so excited when this Sokka person was mentioned?"

Zuko knew that that was a petty question to ask. He shamed himself for feeling jealous, not even knowing how he felt about Katara. Hell, he didn't even know if she saw him more than just a hero that happened to swoop in at the right time.

"Because," Katara said, sniffling. "He's my older brother."

Zuko's eyes widened as he took in another revelation this night. Once he regained himself, he positioned himself in a way to stare directly at Katara. She was staring back at him, their eyes meeting each other's. Zuko felt the pull and push of the ocean as he stared into her deep blue eyes, a relaxing feeling rushing over the course of his body.

"Can… can you tell me everything?" Zuko asked in a whisper.

She smiled, showing some teeth and making Zuko quiver slightly. "Of course."

* * *

**_Fifteen Years Ago_**

"Hakoda! Come quick, you won't believe it."

Hakoda looked up from skinning the arctic wolves, wiping the sweat from his brow. He was a tall man, his hair pulled back into a tight wolf's tail. His body was littered with scars from all of his hunting trips. Rolling his shoulders, he marched over the ice to their hut in the Southern Water Tribe. His wife, Kya, called again, prompting him to hurry up through the rooms and stopped when they reached the room which his two children shared. Kya was staring at his daughter, while his son sat in the back, hands crossed over his chest and a disgruntled look on his face.

"What is it, Kya?" Hakoda asked.

"Our little daughter… is a bender," Kya beamed, a proud smile on his face.

Hakoda looked down at his daughter, Katara. She had a toothy smile as she stepped forward and raised her hands. The father's eyes widened as he watched a small puddle of water lift into the air and weave around the small girl's body. It moved freely, almost at will as Katara waved her arms back and forth. With a smile, she dropped the water, letting it splash around her.

"That's amazing," Hakoda said, swooping down and picking up his daughter with a wide smile. "Our daughter, a waterbender."

"That's not all," Sokka grumbled.

At this, Hakoda finally noticed why Sokka was upset and gloomy. Both of his eyebrows were missing. The man gently put his daughter down, taking one step back as Katara held her palms upwards. It was small at first, but Hakoda was able to see. His eyes widened even more than last time as he watched a small spark of fire flicker to life between his daughter's palms. The flames died out, leaving a tired Katara to be picked up by Kya and rested on her lap.

"… firebending?" Hakoda raised a brow.

"You do know what that means, right?" Kya asked.

Hakoda shook his head. "But the last one died… our daughter is the Avatar?"

In the coming days, word spread quickly throughout the Southern Water Tribe that one of their own was the next Avatar, master of the four elements. The Elder Tribe Council quickly heard of this, wanting to see Katara display her powers before them. They all too had the same reaction as Hakoda, amazed by her ability to already bend two elements, fire and water. What they found odd was that it was only these two: the opposite elements.

"Hakoda and Kya, while this is wonderful news, we do declare that she not learn the teachings of the other elements."

"What?" Both parents snapped.

"There is a new ruler coming to Caldera in a few years," the council explained. "The Sage of Water does not agree with his methods, and fears that he could become a tyrant. We do not wish to let him know that the Avatar still exists. Do you understand?"

There was no point in putting up a fight. Hakoda and Kya agreed, only letting Katara be raised in the art of waterbending. She was to become just a regular waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe.

**_Five Years Ago_**

"What is this?" Katara asked, looking up at Sokka.

They were staring into the snow. Despite the shiny white appearance, there was a smidge of black snow dotting the snow. Sokka looked at it, feeling the rough texture of it. There was a distinct smell behind it, almost an ashy smell that would linger on your clothes for days.

"I think it's soot," Sokka whispered.

"Soot?"

The older brother nodded. "Yeah, like snow mixed with… ash. Go back to the house, now, Katara. I'm going to find dad and the others."

"What's going on?" Katara yelled after her brother.

"It's firebenders!"

Katara was running now, seeing other people running the opposite direction. She could begin to feel the heat from fire as explosions began going off as large fireballs crashed all around her. When she found her hut, she already found her mother ready with a hunting spear in her hand.

"Where's your brother?" She asked frantically.

"He went to find dad," Katara answered, flinching as another explosion rocked the world around her.

"Go hide in your room, okay, sweetie?"

Katara hesitated, but moved after her mother gave her a slight push. She ran into her room, sliding under the bed and staring out with open eyes. The sound of screams and war cries could be heard outside. Fire roared and water splashed as these two elements crashed against each other. She closed her eyes, covering her ears with her hands as the explosions got louder and louder. They were getting closer and closer until they were right outside the house.

"Where is she?" A voice hissed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't make this harder than it is, you bitch. Give us the Avatar."

Katara raised a brow. The Avatar? Her father told her that the Avatar had died years ago and the cycle was over. Why were they still looking for someone that could be dead? She missed the next part of the conversation, but heard the sound of her mother being slapped and thrown to the ground. The screams came next, echoing into the depths of Katara's mind as her mother began to beg for them to stop. Katara only watched in horror as her mother was stripped of her clothes, tossed around the men before being pinned down once again.

"I'm going to make you regret this," the man hissed again.

The girl wasn't sure what came over her.

She was lost in her rage as she removed herself from her hiding spot. The men looked up, seeing Katara standing before them. Katara felt a large change in her body, feeling the energy surge through her as she snapped her eyes open, the men shocked as they glowed pure white. Katara raised her hands, pulling water from the ground and freezing it into small daggers of ice.

"Leave now before I make you regret this," Katara spoke in a voice that wasn't hers, but the voice of all the Avatars.

As the men took a step forward, Katara spread her fingers out, the ice daggers ripping through the air. They impaled the men, dropping them to the floor instantly as blood was already pooling from underneath them. One men managed to only get hit in the shoulder, forcing himself back up and pushing a fireball at Katara. The ice exploded in her face, sending her flying back and out of her state. Kya screamed loudly as the man pulled the ice dagger out of his shoulder, picking up the girl and turning back towards Kya with a sick smile on his face.

The scream was loud enough to quiet the entire tribe. Hakoda knew what that was, sprinting full speed to his home with Sokka right behind him. They slid to a stop as they watched the man with the black and red armor step out of their hut, carrying an unconscious Katara in his arms. Smoke was coming out from behind him as he looked up at the water tribesmen.

"We have the Avatar now," he snapped. "Stand down."

"Fuck you," Hakoda roared, charging forward.

He never saw the fire blast coming. Hakoda only gasped as he felt the force of it throw him backwards and crashing into another hut. Sokka screamed for him, running towards him as the man began walking out, his men falling back to their flag ship. He stopped at the foot of it, turning back and staring at the Southern Water Tribe.

"My name is Yon Rha," He roared. "By order of Father Ozai, I declare you all servants of his from this point on."

**_Four Years Ago_**

"Father Ozai, the Fire Tower is now complete."

Ozai looked up from his dais, smiling as he dismissed his council. He stepped down the stairs, marching with his advisors as he moved his way into his personal chambers. He went to the book case, pulling on one slowly, activating the secret door that led to the secret room. On the bed, secured with a chain on the ankle was Katara. Her blue eyes were filled with rage and wonder.

"Your home is complete now, _waterbender_," Ozai sneered. "You will be removed from my sight and kept there."

"Do I have a choice?" Katara snapped, licking her lips slowly.

"Your attitude is disrespectful to your ruler, you little bitch," the Father of Caldera snarked. "You will learn that respect, I guarantee it."

There were no more words as Ozai nodded to his guards, turning on his heel and walking out. He could hear Katara's protests, but it was nothing too much for the guards could handle. He led them out of the palace, seeing the Fire Tower built to its completion. He smirked as he walked with his guards, watching as people stopped and presented the Fire Nation symbol and bowed to him. This was Ozai's power. This was his will.

Katara only watched as they reached the Fire Tower. Her blue eyes kept watched as she was taken up the stairs, into the strange life that carried them up to the top floor. She was shoved out of the elevator, stumbling on her feet forward. She turned back, shooting a glare at the guards, who only snickered and shoved her forward again.

"My daughter will see that you are comfortable," Ozai sneered. "Until the day where I need you, you will remain here."

The waterbender was confused at first, but the sound of boots clicking on the ground made her look up. She was staring into the golden eyes of a fierce warrior. Her eyes were narrowed, hands clasped behind her back and she stood with poise. She carried herself with grace and regality that seemed to rival that of Ozai, who Katara quickly deduced was her actual father, and not what everyone called Father Ozai. Katara turned back around, seeing Ozai and the guards descend down the lift.

"My name is Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation and Caldera," Azula snapped, making Katara snap back around. "You will address me as Princess Azula or just Princess. Do you understand me, peasant?"

The waterbender said nothing, only stare at Azula. "Why am I here?"

Azula scoffed, turning and walking into the room. Katara didn't know what else to do except follow her into the room. Her blue eyes widened as she stared at the room. It was a large room with a raised area that had a small couch that overlooked all of Caldera. The walls were lined with books that seemed endless.

"My father wasn't exaggerating when he said that you'll be comfortable," Azula snickered. "Although I can see he's giving it to you… even if you don't deserve."

"I don't even know why I'm here," Katara said, giving a sigh as she began looking at the books, pulling one out that read _Legends of the Fire Nation._ "Can you at least tell me that?"

"Surely you know," Azula drawled with a roll of her eyes. "It was the reason why we took you from the Southern Water Tribe."

Katara only shook her head, looking up from the book and staring at Azula with longing eyes. "I'm just a simple waterbender from the south, that's all. What does the city of Caldera want with me?"

At this, Azula turned on her heel, quickly walking to Katara. She grabbed her at the wrist, pulling her gaze towards her. She narrowed her golden eyes, staring intently at the blue eyes of Katara, who was shaking with her.

"You mean you really don't know?" Azula asked.

Katara only shook her head, pulling away from Azula's grip. She picked up the book she had dropped, staring at the page, seeing a story about a man in a blue mask. When she looked back up, Azula was already at the door.

"Wait," Katara cried. "Why am I here? Please, tell me."

Azula sighed, almost being sickened by the way Katara held a pleading look on her face. She slowly turned back around, holding a small smirk on her face as she finally told Katara.

"It's because you're the Avatar."

**_One Year Ago_**

"I hear the Four Sages are displeased with Father Ozai even more now," Katara looked up from her tea, staring over at the mirror.

"Father Ozai is refusing to surrender his title and relinquish the throne," the voice came from the back of the mirror through a small speaker.

Katara only nodded once, keeping her eyes on the mirror. She could hear the voice of the man, but couldn't see the face. It slightly disturbed her, knowing there was an area where people could see her but she had no privacy. Her mind always wondered what kind of people were back there, watching her. Were there perverts touching themselves? Or people that just wanted to see someone different in their life? The distinct sound of tea being slurped made Katara come back to reality, bringing a smile to her face.

"The tea is a lot better than last time," Katara said.

There was a chuckle. "That's because my father made it. He's really amazing at that type of stuff. He actually owns a tea shop in Ba Sing Se."

"If I ever get out of here, maybe I'll come visit."

Another chuckle from the other side of the mirror.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," the voice said.

Katara gave a nod of appreciation, knowing that this person could see her. "Is the legend of the Blue Spirit true?"

There was another chuckle from behind the mirror, Katara only seeing herself grow red with blush. "The Blue Spirit was originally told back in the days of Fire Lord Gozan. The legend was that he was a harbinger of death; when people saw him, it meant that their time on this world was coming to an end."

"So is he real?"

"Why do you ask?"

Katara took another sip of tea before answering. "I have dreams sometimes of the Blue Spirit rescuing me. With me being the Avatar and all, I always felt like maybe he was watching over me."

"I understand," the voice said. "I'm sorry, but I must take my leave now. I will tell my father the news of you favoring his tea more than mine."

Behind the mirror, the man stood straight now, stroking his beard now. His golden eyes stared at girl through the mirror, a soft smirk on his face as a thought pondered in his mind. He knew she had to get out of there, and there was a certain firebender in Ba Sing Se that could do it. He turned around to stare at an older man, sharing the same face and facial hair that he had, only a gray color instead of black.

"It seems that our destinies are beginning to reveal themselves."

The younger man only smirked even wider. "Oh, this should be interesting."

* * *

"And then a year later, you showed up," Katara finished her story.

"I can add this to your story that the man behind the window was my cousin, Lu Ten," Zuko said with a chuckle.

Katara raised a brow. "How do you know?"

"Remember how I said how I was here to rescue you?" Zuko asked, to which Katara nodded. "Well, he and his father, Iroh, are part of an order that follows the teachings of the original Four Sages. This order chose me to go save you."

"Why did they choose you?"

Zuko sighed, looking away from Katara. He was slightly embarrassed that, in a way, she dreamed of him coming to her and saving her. Her dream had come true, in some sort of fashion.

"It's because I am from Caldera," Zuko admitted. "I know how this city works. When I was young, my father began abusing me, after he gave me this scar. I left Caldera about a year before you were brought here. They knew that I would have what it takes to get you out of here."

They were staring at each other now, both eyes filled with pain. Before he knew it, she had thrown herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. This time, Zuko was ready, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her back. When they pulled back, Zuko paused to stare at her a little longer, his finger softly brushing the side of his cheek where she had a small burn on it.

"I'm grateful for you coming," Katara said softly.

Before Zuko could say anything, there was a commotion going around outside that made the two jump from each other's arms. Zuko could hear a disgruntled voice, yelling something about where was she and where were they. His mind figured that this was Sokka and he was probably looking for Suki. He heard the sounds of lips smacking, figuring that he found her. And then, the voice was coming towards them now. Zuko froze as he saw Sokka, still covered in his silver and white and blue paint, quickly realizing why he was called the Silver Wolf.

"Katara," Sokka cried, turning back to Toph. "Get rid of the bars."

As soon as the bars dropped, the two siblings ran towards each other. They embraced themselves in a tight hug, both of them continuing to cry as they let out years of not seeing each other. Zuko smiled softly, quickly wiping it off as he saw Sokka looking back over at him, narrowing his eyes.

"Who is this guy?" Sokka prompted.

Katara recovered, wiping the tears away and turning back towards Zuko. "This is Zuko. He's a firebender from Ba Sing Se. He's the one who got me out."

"A firebender got you out?" Sokka raised a brow. "So he's a spy then!"

"He's not," Toph mumbled. "He checked out. And he's the one who also rescued Suki as well, Snoozles."

Zuko nodded once, watching as he saw Sokka approach him. They stared eat each other for what felt like forever before Sokka grabbed Zuko and pulled him into a hug. Zuko only stood there, glaring at the others as they laughed loudly, noticing Katara hide her laughter behind her hands.

"Thank you, Zuko."


	9. The Mechanist

"What do you mean he can't stay with us?"

Zuko awoke from his sleep with the sound of voices yelling in the distance. Sitting upright, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, standing up and slipping his red and dark brown robes over his chest as he moved towards the voices. One of them was Katara's; he had grown so familiar with her voice. The other one had to be Sokka, judging by how openly he was yelling at her. Reunited for barely a week and they were already at each other's throats. Zuko wasn't sure who he felt sorry for the most. He let out a small yawn before he came closer to the group, seeing Sokka shoot a glare in his direction.

"What's going on?" Zuko asked, stopping behind Katara. "You two are louder than a couple of sheep-pigs."

Katara turned around, her arms crossed and a livid expression on her face. "Dumbass here wants you to leave."

_"What?"_ Zuko snapped, stepping forward.

"Look, I thank you for what you did in saving my sister and my girlfriend," Sokka explained. "But things have changed and you can't stay with us."

"And why is that?" The firebender narrowed his eyes.

Sokka sighed, grabbing the poster from Aang and pushing it into Zuko's chest. The firebender glared at Sokka before looking down, seeing his face on the wanted poster. _Wanted: Zuko of Caldera. Identifiable Marks: A scar on his left side of face. Crimes: High treason to Father Ozai, Fraud, Theft, Unpaid Taxes._

"You see that?" Sokka asked, poking at the poster in Zuko's hand. "Treason. That means you're someone high up in Caldera. You're dangerous."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Zuko warned, crumbling up the paper and burning it quickly to ashes. "You don't know anything. So how about you shut your mouth, okay?"

Katara stepped forward before her older brother could say anything else. She narrowed her eyes, pressing her finger against Sokka's chest and glared defiantly at him. "If Zuko is gone, so am I."

"What?" Sokka and Zuko both asked.

Zuko was the first to recover from this. "Katara, you don't have to do that. You're with family now."

She shook her head, turning on Zuko. "I'm in debt to you. I won't leave you alone when you need help."

"So you'll stay with this… this… _jerkbender_ instead of me?"

Zuko couldn't help but snicker and raise a brow. "Jerkbender? That's the best you got, Snoozles?"

"What did you say?" Sokka asked, stepping around Katara and into Zuko's chest.

"You heard me," Zuko spoke in a low whisper, breathing smoke out from his nose.

"Put your dicks away guys," Toph snapped, sliding Sokka away on a slab of earth. "Look, we can't send Hotpants away. We need him."

Everyone was now staring at the blind girl, who had a very angry look on her face. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she looked ready to start a rumble with anyone of the people here. Zuko looked perplexed on how the blind girl just called him 'Hotpants'. He shook the thought away, realizing that he was supposed to feel surprised about the blind earthbender standing up for him.

"How do we need him?" Aang asked.

"Katara is the Avatar, right?" Toph said, pointing off somewhere and having to be corrected by Sokka. "She knows how to waterbend already. But now she needs the other elements. Aang is air, I'm earth, and Sparky is fire. We're going to teach her."

Zuko sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "What the fuck is with all these nicknames for me?"

"It doesn't matter that I'm the Avatar," Katara snapped, turning and pointing at Zuko. "If you kick Zuko out, then I'm leaving as well."

Sokka sighed, mumbling something under his breath and turning around to talk to Aang and Toph. Zuko's eyes shifted from the older brother to the more attractive one, who was also looking up at him. She had a tight frown on her face, completing her pouty look. The firebender offered her a warm smile before he rested his hands on her shoulders. He stared at her eyes deeply, almost finding himself getting lost in them before he quickly snapped back into reality.

"Thank you for that," Zuko said. "But that's your family, Katara."

She shook her head. "I owe you a debt, Zuko."

"I don't want that to be your reason to turn your back on your family," Zuko sighed, dropping his arms to his side.

"Then fine," Katara said. "I want you to stay because… well…"

Zuko raised his good brow. "What?"

"I trust you."

Zuko smiled again, reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind Katara's ear. Her face burned brightly with blush as she turned away, hugging her arms close to her body and keeping a smile on her face.

"Well, if you two are gonna stay, I guess it's time for our next mission," Toph said, watching as Sokka huffed away.

Both Zuko and Katara returned back to normal, the blush leaving Katara's face and rising on Zuko's as if he was caught in a very compromising position. Aang said nothing, only waited for Toph to continue talking. The earthbender, however, had a large smirk on her face as she pulled up a column of earth, sitting down on it and staring at her two new partners. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she snickered loudly at the two.

"So… what's the mission?" Zuko asked.

"Your heart's are going crazy," Toph snorted, the smirk still on her face.

"The _mission_, Toph," Zuko said in a low voice.

She rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. "Way to kill the mood, Sparky. Anyways, our mission is to visit this guy at the edge of Caldera."

"They call him the Mechanist," Aang continued. "Apparently, he's helped build armor and weapons for Father Ozai. We have word he and his son have information they want to pass to us. Oh, and along with some new weapons."

Zuko frowned, knowing full well who the Mechanist was. He remembered that he was the one who designed the old armor he used to wear. He also helped Piandao fashion some of the swords that were kept around in his palace. His mind wandered a bit now. Was the Mechanist in ties with the Order? And if the Mechinist saw him, would he recognize him as Ozai's son? He didn't want his true identity to be revealed just yet, if even at all. Zuko shook away the thoughts, crossing his arms over his chest and looked back at Toph and Aang.

"What type of information?" Zuko finally asked.

Toph shrugged, turning around and listening as Sokka returned back to the group. He still didn't say anything, only grab his weapons and load them up on Appa's saddle. Zuko noticed that one of the weapons was a boomerang. He raised a brow, wondering exactly could be done with a boomerang. He shuddered at the thought of getting hit by it, especially on the return strike.

"Hurry up," Sokka snapped. "We have to get going."

"I liked him better when he was thanking me," Zuko mumbled, turning back around and walking to get his stuff.

It took him a second to realize that Katara was walking next to him. "What is it, Katara?"

She shook her head. "I just want to apologize."

"For what?"

"My brother," Katara said. "He can be a bit of an idiot."

"You haven't seen him in years," Zuko said, grabbing his bag and stuffing his shozoku inside of it. "You have nothing to apologize for."

He gave Katara a warm smile before they both climbed up into Appa's saddle, leaning back against the rails as Appa let out a groan before rising high into the air and flying off.

* * *

The Mechanist lived in what Zuko would call an extravagant home. He raised his hood over his head as he slid down the side of Appa, turning around and watching Katara slide next to him. She looked up at him, reaching up and tugging slightly at the hood.

"What's with the hood?" Katara asked.

"I have my reasons," Zuko smirked.

The Avatar scoffed. "What? Gonna try and hide your face when you try and kiss me or something?"

Katara didn't realize what she said until she had seen the look on Zuko's face. Her face soon matched it, looking away and quickly mumbling about being sorry. Zuko waved it off, nodding to the group and leading Katara over to them. He ignored the look that Sokka was giving him as Suki tried to comfort him. Aang and Toph looked back, the airbender raising his hands into the air.

"Let's go," Aang cried. "I want to get back in time for our dance."

"Dance?" Zuko raised a brow at the bald airbender.

"Twinkletoes plans every year a dance for all of us to just relax and not worry about what's going on in the world around us," Toph explained. "It's supposed to go on tonight."

Suki stepped in front of everyone, looking quite different without the makeup. Zuko almost didn't recognize her and was about to question who she was. "We'll get this done in time, Aang. Don't worry."

Zuko only rolled his eyes, staying in the back of the group as they came up to the large door. Sokka was the one who banged on the door, everyone else keeping a look out as they were on the edge of the city. It took a few minutes and more banging before someone answered the door. Zuko saw a young boy in a wheelchair. His green eyes looked at everyone, setting on Zuko for just one extra second before they landed back on Sokka's stare.

"Are you the ones to see my dad?" The boy asked.

"Yeah," Sokka nodded. "What's your name?"

"I'm Teo. Please, follow me."

Zuko flinched as the door shook the house as it closed. He looked over at Teo, who looked at him with a worried glance before wheeling himself to the front of the group. He said something about his father being in his lab. Zuko looked around, seeing the different types of weapons and inventions that were made by the Mechanist. He saw large prototypes for bombs, and miniature scales for war ships. He furrowed his brow, knowing that these were stuff made for his father.

"It'll just be a few minutes," Teo's voice broke Zuko's brood. "He'll be out once he finishes the last designs for his newest project."

"Thank you, Teo," Sokka said with a nod of his head.

The firebender looked away as Teo rolled past them. Zuko leaned against the wall, keeping his eye locked on the door as he heard Sokka and Katara talking. He assumed it was stuff about him staying or leaving. He only ignored it, watching as Aang strolled over to him.

"Zuko? Can I ask you something?"

He shifted his golden eyes to the airbender. "What?"

"What was with all that stuff on that wanted poster?" Aang prompted.

"Well, I did break the Avatar out of the Fire Tower," Zuko smirked as he shrugged nonchalantly. "Could be that, I guess."

Aang sighed, shaking his head. "Toph mentioned that what you said wasn't all the truth and you were hiding something."

"Does she have some special power I don't know about?" Zuko asked, letting out a sigh as he lowered his head. "I know you said something about her knowing when someone lies."

"Actually, she does," Aang said. "See, with her earthbending powers, she can feel people's heartbeats through the ground. So when someone lies or omits the truth, she can pick it up with ease."

Zuko's eyes widened, shifting his gaze over to Toph, who was picking dirt out of her feet. The earthbender seemed to have heard this, shifting her eyes over to stare at Zuko from the corner of her eyes. Toph smirked widely at Zuko, letting the firebender know that she indeed heard everything.

"That's impressive… and scary," Zuko said, looking at Aang.

"It can be annoying sometimes as well," the airbender sighed.

"I bet."

"Zuko?"

"What, Aang?" Zuko drawled, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

The airbender looked down, scratching the back of his bald head. "Why are you helping us? I mean, you're from Caldera. Why help us rebels out?"

Zuko only shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. Could he tell them this was all a mission he was forced on and didn't really want to take this on? He sighed, shifting his stare over at the blue-eyed waterbender. He wasn't expecting to be this connected to her already; the Avatar. She was the savior of the world and destined to bring balance back to the world. Before Zuko could speak these thoughts, the doors finally opened.

The Mechanist stepped out, fiddling with his monocle before smiling widely at everyone. Zuko took in his appearance, looking a lot different then he remembered. He was wearing green and brown clothes, typical of an Earth Kingdom citizen. He wore a dusty apron over those clothes. His eyebrows had been burned off, Zuko not really wanting to know the cause of it. His hair was standing on end as he opened his arms to everyone with the smile growing even larger than Zuko thought possible

"Friends, it is good to see you," the Mechanist beamed. "Come inside, we have lots to discuss."

Sokka led the group in, Zuko staying in the back and leaning against the wall. Katara looked back at him, slightly frowning as she glanced down at the seat next to her. Zuko raised a brow at her. Was she wanting him to sit next to her? Zuko gave in, pushing himself off the wall and walking over to Katara, who smiled once he sat down next to her. He made sure to ignore Sokka's look as the Mechanist began speaking.

"So, information, yes?" the Mechanist prompted. "Lots and lots of information for me to give to you."

"In your letter, it said that you knew of what Father Ozai was planning to do with the Avatar," Sokka said. "Well, we have the Avatar now. It just happens to be my sister."

The Mechanist nodded once. "Ah, the Avatar, yes, yes, I remember now. Our _great_ ruler of Caldera has found out a way to enhance his power and make sure that his reign would go untouched."

The group watched as the Mechanist stood up, walking back to his large desk. He grabbed a stack of papers, turning back around and dumping them on the table. Zuko scanned the pages, quickly realizing what he was staring at. It was a star map, pointing out all the constellations and different star systems. His eyes landed on the red dot that was placed in the middle of the map. His heart sunk, a sudden fear as he realized what this was. This was the power that Ozai always talked about. The power that would have no equal.

"What is this?" Sokka asked.

The Mechanist patted the maps a few times. "This is a star map. I had an old professor bring me this from an old library in the desert. Bit of a crazy guy, kept going on about a giant owl and magic foxes or something."

"A star map? For what?" Katara asked.

"The stars, of course," the Mechanist exclaimed. "See, this professor has been tracking this for years now, since some old coot with a white lotus tile came to visit him."

Zuko did his best not to break out laughing as he leaned back into his chair. Of course Iroh was the one behind this. He was the one behind everything, after all. Running the Order of the White Lotus and bringing Zuko back and having Lu Ten check on Katara when she was in the tower.

"Okay, that's great and all," Toph said. "But what does this tell us?"

"See this?" the Mechanist said, pressing his finger onto the red dot that Zuko saw earlier. "He believes that this is a comet and it'll be passing by our planet in about eight months from today."

"A comet? What does that have to do with everything?"

The Mechanist smiled his dazed smile. "This comet is known as Sozin's Comet. It is said to enhance all firebenders ability by a hundred-fold when it's in orbit."

"And what is he planning to do with this?" Zuko asked, already knowing what the answer was going to be.

"Father Ozai is planning to use this comet to fuel his army and go and take over the world," the Mechanist started. "It'll be the beginning of his extermination."

The group was silent for a while as they all stared at the map. A comet that could enhance the powers of all firebenders. Ozai wanting to create an entire extermination of the world. This was madness and Zuko knew what was going to be result of all of this. Ozai would rule the world, with the Avatar by his side or not. Zuko sighed, looking away from the map and leaning deeper into his chair.

"This just means we have to take him down faster," Sokka declared, slamming his fist on the table. "We'll have to attack harder now as well."

"We have the Avatar now," Suki said, looking over at Katara. "I'm sure we'll be able to beat him."

"Then we have to start training," Katara said with a nod, looking at Zuko and placing her hand over his. "We'll do it together."

The firebender looked over at Katara, who was smiling softly at him. He nodded back, smiling as well as they all looked over at the Mechanist. With one last goodbye, they all stood up, Zuko making sure to stay in the back. He held regret as he felt an arm on his shoulder. Looking back, the Mechanist was in his face, smiling his cooky smile.

"May I speak to you alone?"

Zuko raised a brow. "Yeah, sure."

The others nodded, walking outside as Zuko closed the door. He turned to face the Mechanist, whose smile was gone and replaced with one that was very serious. It slightly frightened Zuko to see this quick change of attitude.

"You're Zuko, correct? The Grand Master's nephew?"

Zuko chuckled. "If you mean Iroh, then yes, I am Zuko."

"Perfect," the Mechanist smiled again. "He sent me a package a few days ago and said that you would be around to pick it up."

"A package?"

The Mechanist nodded, retreating back to his desk and ruffling through stacks of papers and other junk. He came out from the pile with a large box, setting it on the table over the star maps and looking up at Zuko.

"I'm not sure what it is."

Zuko walked over to the table, lowering his hood and showing off his scar. He lifted the top off of the box and stared down into it. A smile crept onto his face as scanned the contents. On top of everything was the blue oni mask he wore as the Blue Spirit. Under that was his scabbard, knowing his dual dao swords were sheathed away and kept safe. Zuko lifted them out, pulling out the bag under it and stuffing the contents of it inside of it.

"I trust that you know those mean?"

The firebender nodded. "Yeah, I do. Thank you."

Zuko turned around, raising his hood back up and securing the bag to his back. He saw only Katara waiting for him, looking at the bag on his back. She raised a brow as they started walking, Zuko waving it off and telling her that he would show her some other day. Katara accepted this, waving goodbye to Teo as they walked back to Appa. As they sat in the saddle, Zuko suddenly felt more complete with his old past now in his present. He shifted over to Katara, still smiling as he realized that her dream had become a reality now.

The Blue Spirit had rescued her.

* * *

"Dad? She's here."

The Mechanist only had time to look up before the door burst open. Strolling through with a royal guard was Azula. She had her hair in a topknot, pulled back tightly. She was dressed in her royal armor, black with red trims with red and gold boots. The door was closed behind her as she sat down, crossing her legs and resting her hands in her lap. She carried herself with even more poise now as she glared directly at the Mechanist.

"It's time for you to inform us, old man," Azula sneered. "When is the comet coming to pass?"

"Eight months from now," the Mechanist answered.

Azula nodded, smirking at the old man. "What about the rebels?"

"The what?"

The smirk vanished and was quickly replaced with a frown. "Do not try my patience, Mechanist. We have witnesses saying a large sky-bison was seen leaving your property. The rebels are known for traveling on one of those."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about, Princess," the Mechanist said, shaking his head.

Azula said nothing, only snapping her fingers. The doors opened again, revealing a screaming Teo who was being dragged across the floor and tossed in front of the Mechanist. He quickly ran to his son, looking up at the princess with mad eyes.

"What do you want to know?"

Azula's smirk came back as she stood up from her chair. "I want to know where the rebels and that fucking uprising is holding out at."

"If you had men see the sky-bison, then you should know already."

The princess clicked her tongue, raising her palm, letting a small fire flicker to life before it turned a deep shade of blue. Her golden eyes stayed on the Mechanist as she threw the fireball over at one stack of designs for new inventions. The fire blazed orange as the Mechanist began pleading for her to stop.

"They're hiding out in a cave by the colonies!"

It was Teo who yelled out, causing a surprise by everyone. Azula nodded to one of her guards, who squeezed his fists and extinguished the fire. She marched over to Teo, picking him up by the collar of her shirt and raised his face to hers.

"How do you know?" Azula asked.

"They told me when they were here," Teo explained, ignoring his father's protests. "I asked their leader about joining and he rambled on about it."

"The Fire Nation colonies?"

Teo nodded, gasping as Azula dropped him and he crumbled to the floor. The Mechanist shuffled over to him, picking him up and sitting him in one of the chairs. Azula had already turned around and began marching out with her guards when she stopped, turning back around and looking at the Mechanist.

"Your son has more bravery than you do," Azula snapped. "I would be ashamed of myself if I was you, Mechanist."


	10. Blood Ties

"Wait, so you guys were serious about this dance thing?"

Zuko had just hopped off Appa's saddle, seeing other members of the uprising setting up different types of instruments and directing other earthbenders where to move the seats. The earthbender had a faint moustache that seemed to be out of place and just odd as he pushed his hair back, raising two more chairs and pushing them around to complete the circle. Aang landed softly next to Zuko, a wide grin on his face. The firebender couldn't help but chuckle as the airbender was just shaking with excitement. He shifted to Katara quickly, watching her slide down Appa and began walking with her brother and Suki.

"Of course we were," Aang said. "This just helps everyone relax and forget about the world for a few hours."

"I guess it's a good idea," Zuko replied.

"Of course it is!" The airbender exclaimed.

The firebender nodded, his eyes shifting over to Katara, who was walking with Sokka and Suki and laughing about something. The way her smile framed her face made Zuko smile as well, not paying attention to the incoming footsteps that were approaching him. He barely had time to turn around before he felt a fist come across the side of his face. Everyone stopped what they were doing, looking back and seeing Zuko crash into Aang and come to stop on one of Appa's legs. He looked up, the setting sun obscuring his vision. All he could see was the reflection of the sun off hook swords and a wheat straw hanging loosely in the attacker's mouth.

Jet.

"What the fuck are you doing here, scarface?"

Zuko pushed himself up, dusting himself off and narrowing his eyes at Jet, who was already starting to reach back for his swords. He felt blood already trickling down his lip, brushing it away with his finger. Sokka and the others were already there, Katara standing in front of Zuko and looking over at his face.

"What the hell is your problem, Jet?" Sokka shouted.

"This asshole got me fucked over on the ferry," Jet snapped, glaring at Zuko. "Remember? I told you about the guy with the scar when I got here."

Katara now turned around, glaring at Jet, feeling an instant distaste for the cocky swordsman and his cocky eyebrows. "What does this have to do with Zuko?"

"Zuko?" Jet raised his brow, pointing an accusing finger at Zuko. "His name is Lee."

"It's Zuko," the firebender snapped. "You really think I would give my name to some random guy on a ferry?"

Jet was snarling now. "I thought you said joining the resistance was futile."

"For you, maybe," Zuko snickered, a smirk rising on his face.

The swordsman charged at Zuko, shoving Katara out of the way. Zuko caught Jet's fist, turning on his heel and sweeping out Jet's legs. He let out a yelp before landing in Appa's fur. Before he could even get back up, Zuko had twisted his arm around his back, causing him to let out a short scream. He quickly straddled his back, leaning closer to Jet's ear and snarling.

"Don't embarrass yourself, Jet," Zuko whispered through gritted teeth.

Zuko stood up now, releasing his hold on Jet and walking over to Katara. He checked out the mark on her arms from where she was shoved. She nodded that he was okay, looking over at Jet and watched as he was already stomping off with anger radiating from his body. Zuko sighed as everyone was now turning to stare at him. He caught Sokka's intense glare, knowing this wasn't something he wanted to explain.

"Care to explain," Sokka prompted, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"I met Jet on the ferry and he wanted me to help him steal food and join you guys," Zuko explained, seeing Toph nodding to confirm his truth.

"Why did you say your name was Lee then?" Sokka asked.

The firebender scoffed. "Do you go tell any random people that you're really the Silver Wolf?"

Katara stepped in front of Zuko, pointing a finger at Sokka. "Enough. Zuko didn't do anything wrong. And I'm tired of you always accusing him of something wrong. Let it go, Sokka."

Sokka said nothing else, only shoving his way through Zuko and Katara and into the cave. Suki followed suit, while Toph and Aang stood up and set themselves in front of the Avatar and firebender.

"Can we just forget this and have fun?" Aang asked. "You two will love this dance. I'm sure of it."

"I'm sure they will, Twinkletoes," Toph snickered, earning herself a glare from the firebender.

* * *

The music was blasting now as the makeshift band played song after song and the rebels began to get up and move to the music. Zuko was sitting by himself, finally losing the robe. He was dressed in a brown shirt with a red and gold sleeveless robe draped over him. His legs were crossed along with his arms as he kept his eyes locked on everyone. Sokka and Suki were dancing, the leader keeping his hands on the girl's hips as they had lustful looks in their eyes. Even Aang and Toph were dancing… both with their own unique style. Toph looked rigid and lacking of rhythm, while Aang was flowing with the sound of the music.

"Hey, Zuko," Katara's voice came from his right.

Zuko jumped slightly, narrowing his eyes at Katara as she laughed softly, sitting down next to him and looking out to the dancefloor. Zuko took the time to notice her outfit. She had a different set of blue robes on, her midriff bare. She was wearing the same leggings, but took off the arm sleeves. Zuko's eyes trailed up to her neck, noticing the necklace. He furrowed his brow in confusion. Had that always been there? Without warning he reached out to cup the pendant, tracing it with his fingers.

"It's beautiful," Zuko whispered, catching Katara's blush.

"Thank you," Katara smiled up at Zuko. "It belonged to my mother. She had passed it to me just a few days before she died."

The firebender released the pendant, nodding once to the Avatar before they both turned and stared out at the dance floor. One dancer was flailing his arms crazy as others began getting into the groove of things now. Zuko chuckled as Toph and the guy with the moustache - was Haru his name? - began dancing now. Aang was bouncing all over the place now, a large grin on his face. They both realized now that Sokka and Suki were no longer on the floor, both also realizing where they were as they looked at each other and started laughing loudly.

"Do you wanna dance, Zuko?" Katara asked as the two finally calm down from their laughter.

Zuko's smile vanished. "I'm not one for dancing."

"Oh, don't be like that," Katara said, standing up and pulling Zuko's arm. "It'll be fun, come on."

"Fine," Zuko sighed as he stood up.

Zuko couldn't help but smile as Katara pulled him into the middle of all the people dancing. Zuko began listening to the music, hearing the sound of drums and the tsungi horn. He began rocking his body slightly, his hands somehow finding Katara's hips as she took began moving to the music. She was blushing, but her smile overpowered it as they found the rhythm and began moving in sync with the music. The firebender felt a smile pull at his lips as her body began moving closer to his.

"I used to play the tsungi horn," Zuko admitted, causing Katara to laugh.

"Really? I can't imagine you being a music person."

They both shared a laugh now as everyone was now looking in their direction. An idea came into Zuko's head as he leaned his head down.

"Follow my lead, okay?"

"What?" Katara asked.

"It'll be just like bending, trust me."

Zuko pulled away from Katara slowly, placing the back of his hand against hers, standing in an attack position. She did the same, slowly catching on as they began circling each other, never taking their eyes away from each other. Zuko made the first move, sliding forward. Katara did the opposite, both quickly turning around and raising their feet into the air. They hooked each other, slowly bringing them down and moving onto the next moves. Zuko flipped into the air, Katara ducking under him and spinning on her heel. Zuko charged now, sliding on his knees and having Katara front flip off his shoulders.

"Wow," Aang said, still beaming as he turned and watched the two dancing.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked as he and Suki returned, their hair a mess and Suki's pants on backwards.

Katara smiled widely as Zuko slid in front of her now, quickly realizing the situation they were in now.

"Zuko, everyone is watching," Katara protested.

The firebender smirked. "Don't worry about them. It's just you and me."

Zuko and Katara were facing each other now, circling each other with their hands pressed against each other. They made quick movements with their hands, moving through the air as if they were bending. They locked hands, pulling each other past another. As they came back, Zuko raised his leg and swung over Katara as she ducked the fake kick. Zuko spun around Katara, grabbing her hands and pulling her towards her, their lips inches apart before they both pulled back again. They kept smiles on their faces as they flipped through the air, Zuko forcing himself to go higher and Katara went under him. As they landed, they came back together again.

"Zuko is actually a really good dancer," Suki snickered.

"It looks more like bending," Aang observed.

"Feels like they both enjoy the hell out of it," Toph snorted. "So much for Zuko not being a dancer."

The firebender smiled again as they sliced through the air once more before Zuko grabbed Katara by the waist. He spun on his heel, lowering his arm with her in it. Katara kicked one leg out, finally stopping as they stopped and stared at each other. Both were breathing heavily as they stared deeply at each other. Zuko's golden eyes stared with passion into Katara's blue eyes, which had the same passion.

It was the thunderous applause that broke them out of it, both standing straight up and blushing as everyone was clapping and cheering. Even the band had stopped playing and cheered for the performance in front of them.

"That was amazing!" Suki cried out as Zuko and Katara reached them.

"Who knew Sparky had such light feet," Toph chuckled. "Maybe he's part airbender too."

"Thanks," Zuko said as he sat down next to Aang, who was already asking him to teach him those moves.

The firebender blocked out those questions those as something else was running through his mind. He felt the way Katara's heart was racing, just like his was. There was no denying it now as he turned his gaze over to her. She was staring at him with hooded eyes, a smile on her face and blush creeping all over her face. Zuko wasn't even sure if it was possible that he could begin developing feelings for the Avatar. It wasn't part of the mission, after all.

But Zuko was beginning to remember he didn't care about the mission.

* * *

Hours had passed, the music still playing softly and others still having the energy to dance. Zuko was tired, standing near the edge of the cave and staring out at the moon. His arms were crossed, like always, but he felt at peace though. The wind was bringing a slight chill through the air as it breezed past him. He heard footsteps, turning around and seeing Katara saunter up to him. A smile pulled at his lips as he saw her grinning widely at him.

"Hey," Zuko said.

"Hey," she replied, tucking some hair behind her ear and standing next to him. "Staring at the moon?"

The firebender nodded, looking back up at the sky. "Yeah. My mother used to tell me about how the moon was a guardian watching over all of us."

"Sokka keeps saying his ex-girlfriend turned into the moon," Katara shrugged, earning a confused look from Zuko. "Don't ask."

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Zuko, can I ask you something?"

He nodded, looking back out at the moon with a content look on his face.

"What ever happened to your mother?"

Zuko sighed, closing his eyes as the memory played in his head once more. "I don't want to talk about it."

Katara had thought of something to say, but it never came. Instead, the sound of an explosion ripped through the air. The two benders were launched off their feet and back into the cave as screams rang through the air. Zuko was the first one up, running back the entrance looking up into the sky. How he didn't see it, he didn't know. Two warships were flying directly towards them. He saw the flicker of fire growing larger and shoot towards him. Zuko took a step forward and sliced through the air, snuffing the flames out before he turned on his heel and blasting his own shot of fire. His eyes widened as his fire was knocked away with blue fire.

"What the fuck?" Sokka's voice came. "Was that blue fire?"

"No, it can't be," Zuko whispered as he turned to Sokka. "You need to get everyone out of here, now."

"Why?"

"Only one person can bend blue fire," Zuko explained. "Princess Azula, daughter of Father Ozai."

"How did they even find us?" Katara asked as she skidded to a stop.

Zuko shook his head. "Someone must've tipped them off. My money is on the Mechanist."

"It doesn't matter," Sokka said, pulling out his black sword. "We have to get out of here now. Everyone, _move!_"

No one needed to be told twice as they began running now. The earthbenders of the group raised up slabs of earth, shooting them at the warships. Blasts of fire destroyed the slabs. Zuko only watched as Sokka and Suki were directing others to the ships they had from the Water Tribe. Katara and Aang went off to put out the fires that had stared. Zuko looked back up at the warships, seeing Azula and her royal guards jumping down towards them. The firebender quickly pulled on his robe, pulling the robe over his head as he tossed his sack onto Appa's saddle, knowing that was their only chance to get out of there in one piece.

"Get them," Azula snapped. "I want the Silver Wolf and Blind Bandit brought to me alive, understand?"

Zuko wasted no time as he flipped into the air, kicking arcs of fire at his sister. He knew Azula dodged it as blue fire raced by his head.

"You'll pay for that, traitor," Azula sneered. "How dare a firebender join these classes of scum."

Zuko knew that Azula didn't know it was him underneath the robe. Her blue fire exploded behind Zuko as he rolled forward. He summoned two fire whips, swinging down on Azula as she easily backflipped away from the fire. She punched her fist out again and again, multiple fireballs ripping towards Zuko. He cursed under his breath, spinning to the side and sweeping his leg across his body, sending a wave of fire out. Azula forced herself over the wave, sweeping her leg down and shooting her own arc. Zuko sliced through the middle of arc, forcing the fire around him.

"Mai, Ty Lee, I could use some help here," Azula snapped in a very demanding tone to her right.

The firebender didn't have time to reach as a stiletto sliced through his shoulder. He staggered back, seeing blood already on his hand as he looked up. Mai, his former betrothed, was charging at him with daggers in her hands. Ty Lee, the bubbly girl in her pink outfit, sprinted right next to her. Zuko crused under his breath, dodging the incoming daggers before Ty Lee began jabbing at him. He did his best to push away her attacks, knowing she could chi block someone and disable their bending. This wasn't the best time for that to happen.

Ty Lee pulled back, Mai charging at him now now. She was holding two short blades, twirling them around before slicing at Zuko. He quickly formed his own fire daggers, wishing he would've grabbed his dual dao swords before tossing his bag away. Mai was quicker than he remembered, Zuko barely having time to dodge the attacks. He quickly spun underneath Mai's swing, elbowing her in the ribs. The gloomy warrior staggered back before Zuko shot a blast of fire at her feet, making her leap backwards.

Now Ty Lee was on him again, punching faster as Azula began launching fireballs at his direction. Zuko rolled sideways, barely having time to dodge the incoming shurikens from Mai.

_"Zuko!"_

Zuko's eyes widened underneath his hood, as did Azula's. Katara's voice was soon replaced with a scream as a stream of water crashed into Ty Lee's chest, sending her flying backwards into the warship. Mai was still charging, though. Toph, who was right behind Katara, shot forward two clods of earth, knocking them into her and sending her sprawling onto the floor. Zuko was sure that he heard bones cracking.

"Zuko…" Azula trailed off.

He sighed, removing his robe and tossing it aside. The princess instantly saw the scar, her face contorting into one filled with rage and malice. Before he could say anything, Azula was running full speed at him now. Zuko could only step back as Azula sliced at him with her sharp nails. Zuko was able to lure her into the cave, grabbing her by the wrists and tossing her aside over his head. He quickly scrambled to his feet, staring at his enraged sister with wide eyes.

"You bastard," Azula shouted as she jumped to her feet. "How dare you show your marked face around the Fire Nation."

She gave Zuko no chance to speak, charging again. Zuko equally matched her attacks, slapping away her hands and giving quick jabs to her body. Azula snarled as she jumped into the air, double kicking Zuko on the sides. He groaned at the pain, gasping as he felt his legs being swept from underneath him. As soon as he hit the ground, Azula was straddling him, her hands around his neck and squeezing tightly. Immediately, his hands began clawing at her face, trying to shove her away from his body.

"How could you leave me, Zuko?" Azula cried. "Do you know what _he_ did to me? Do you?"

"Azula… stop," Zuko managed to croak out, feeling her squeeze tighter.

"You left and he punished me for it," Azula snapped, tears forming in her eyes. "I had to suffer because of you. He made me into the perfect soldier. I became his favorite, like_ you_ always said."

Zuko gasped as he felt her grip slack. He sucked in all the air he could, coughing as he heard her slam into the ground. Looking up, he saw Katara running towards him with eyes glowing white, picking him up and trying to get him to go to Appa. Zuko looked back once, seeing Azula stand up glare at him. He couldn't hear anything as more fire exploded around him. Toph lifted everyone up onto Appa's saddle.

"Yip yip," Aang yelled.

Appa roared as he took off, flying high into the air. Zuko snapped out of his daze enough to turn and defend them from the oncoming fire blasts. The last stream was blue, racing towards him. Zuko was ready to deflect it, but it stopped just short, fizzling away before it could do any damage. A broken Zuko sighed, dropping back onto the saddle and trying to catch his breath. Zuko turned over and stared at Katara, her eyes back to their normal blue color now.

"Who the fuck was that?" Suki asked.

"That was the Princess of Caldera, Azula," Zuko sighed.

"How did she know you, Zuko?" Katara asked, looking down.

Zuko forced himself to sit up, feeling all eyes on him. It was Aang, Toph, Suki, Sokka, and Katara now. Every pair of eyes, including the blind ones of Toph, was staring directly at him. He let out a rush of air as he dropped his head.

"Azula is my sister," Zuko said.

"What?" Everyone asked.

"My father is Father Ozai," Zuko explained. "Eleven years ago, he was selected to rule Caldera. Azula is my younger sister."

Sokka was livid now. "And you just happen to mention this now?"

"I left that city behind and everything I had there," Zuko continued, pointing his finger to his scar. "After my father took over the city, he gave me this scar for being weak. I left Caldera on my own. I exiled myself and left Azula alone... I left her alone with him."

"Your… your father did that to you?" Katara looked up at him with sorrow and anger filled eyes.

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, he did."

"You lied to us," Sokka snapped, ignoring this moment. "You even lied to Katara, I bet. That's why you broke her out, huh? Because she's the Avatar and you knew you could prove something to your father."

"You're wrong," Zuko snapped, looking up. "I saved her to save her. That's it. If you assume I have _any _loyalty left to Caldera, you truly are an idiot."

"Go fuck yourself," Sokka snapped, turning away from the firebender.

Zuko had no response, looking over at Katara, who turned away as well. That stung deep in his chest as he looked down again, leaning back into the saddle.

"Where are we going?" Toph changed the subject.

"We have to lay low a bit in the Fire Nation," Aang said. "We have to bounce around until we're sure that Azula can't find us."

"There's a little village named Jang Hui that's pretty much isolated," Zuko spoke up. "It's by a lake so we can have some better water at least."

"Sounds good enough for me," Aang said.

The firebender nodded, looking over at Katara. His eyes were fixed on her as she moved towards him. Zuko had to admit that he was confused, watching her with careful eyes as she reached up, softly brushing the edge of his scar with her fingertips. His eyes closed, both of their breathing matching as he felt her warmth moving closer to him. His eyes only opened up when he felt her lips softly press against his. Zuko pushed back ever so softly before she pulled back, smiling softly as she looked down into her lap.

"What was that for?" Zuko asked.

"I thought I was gonna lose you today," Katara sighed. "I... I can't lose you, Zuko."

Zuko nodded once, letting the Avatar sink in his arms as he draped one around her. He pressed his lips to the top of her head, watching as her eyes fluttered shut before sleep quickly came over her. Zuko smiled to himself as he too closed his eyes, finally feeling at peace with what he had going on in his life.


	11. The Blue Spirit

"Concentrate on the energy flowing through your veins."

Katara nodded at Zuko's command. She exhaled, placing her hands out in front of her and cupping them together. She steadied her breathing, feeling the energy rushing through her body and flowing to her hands. Zuko watched with focused eyes as Katara continued to keep her breathing at a steady rhythm. A small spark of flickered over her hands before it grew into a full grown flame. Zuko smiled widely now as Katara began moving the flame between her hands. Her face lit up as she stared at the ball of fire, feeling the warmth brush against her fingers.

"You did it," Zuko grinned even wider as the flame was snuffed out.

"Look at that, I'm already a firebender," Katara nodded, facing Zuko. "Maybe I'll be better than you someday, Zuko."

The firebender smirked, creating a small flame in his hand. He quickly moved it through his fingers without even taking one look at his hands. His eyes never left Katara's face, who was now frowning at Zuko as he extinguished the flame. With a chuckle, he leaned back into the saddle, placing his hands behind his head.

"Show off," Katara grumbled, to which he only shrugged.

"Hey, Zuko, is that Jang Hui?" Aang's voice from the top of Appa's head.

Zuko peered over the edge, seeing the town that was slapped in the middle of a dock in what used to be a clear lake. He frowned at the sight, seeing how mucky and filthy the water was. It was nothing like he remembered when he and his uncle use to travel to these parts for some of the best fish in the entire Fire Nation.

"Yeah, that's it," Zuko called back. "It's changed a lot."

"Maybe it's always been this way," Sokka shot from his side of the saddle.

Toph awoke from her nap, yawning and stretching her hands and feet. "Can we just hurry up and land? I'm still not used to this flying thing."

Aang snapped the reins, the large sky-bison descending towards a small opening that was large enough to hold him. Appa landed with a thud, everyone quickly jumping off. Zuko looked as Katara landed next to him, dusting off her clothes before walking with the firebender behind everyone towards Jang Hui.

"What do they even do in this village?" Suki asked.

"It's primarily a fishing village," Zuko said, looking down at the water. "I'm not so sure about it now, though."

"What's causing all of this?" Katara asked.

Zuko shrugged as they came to the beginning of the Docks. "I'm not sure. Last I heard, the Fire Nation or Caldera's forces had no reason to even be here."

Sokka was quickly about to come up with a witty remark when an old man popped up from almost out of nowhere. He was a bit chubby, his stomach hanging out from the dirty vest he was wearing. He had a goofy grin on his face as he looked at everyone before spreading his arms out wide.

"Welcome to our little home from home," the man exclaimed. "My name is Dock, cause I work at the Docks."

"That… strangely makes sense," Aang said.

"We just need to pick up some supplies," Zuko quickly said. "If you don't mind, we'll just keep walking."

Zuko was now leading everyone past Dock and into the small village. He looked over, seeing the crazy old man running past him. He exchanged looks with Aang, who only gave a shrug as they turned and kept walking. They stopped first at the local fish market, Sokka hollering for some service before a man popped up, wearing a tall white and red hat and a very familiar goofy grin.

"Well hello, new people, how can I help you? My name is Xu."

"Xu?" Zuko raised a brow. "But you're Dock… I just saw you run by us."

Xu cackled loudly, pointing over Zuko's head to the beginning of the Docks. "You must be thinking of my brother, Dock. He works at the Docks, that's why his name is Dock. I'm his twin brother, Xu."

"No… you're Dock," Katara joined in.

"Yeah, our brother Bushi always said that Dock and I look alike," Xu sighed. "I mean, because we're twins and all."

"Do I even want to meet Bushi?" Zuko asked, looking over at Katara.

"Look, Sokka, just buy us our food," Toph snapped. "We'll keep looking around. And maybe find out what that horrible smell is."

Xu looked over at the blind earthbender. "Oh, that'd be the fish. Yeah, our water isn't that great since the damn Fire Nation built that factory over there."

"What do they do there?" Suki asked.

The crazy man only shrugged. "That's a question for Dock. He knows all that stuff."

Xu ducked under the counter and popped right back up. The hat was gone, and the goofy smile was back once more. "Hey, glad to see you guys again. Xu told me you had some questions about the factory?"

"Yeah, I've had enough of this," Zuko grumbled, walking around and going deeper into the fishing village.

They all left Sokka and Suki to deal with buying the food. Zuko was leading everyone else to the other shops. Zuko decided that one thing they all needed were different clothes. Katara's blue outfit and Toph's yellow and green robes would give them away in an instant. They all agreed, looking for new clothes.

"Just make sure it's nothing that stands out," Zuko suggested.

Toph had picked out a very similar outfit to what Zuko was wearing. Her undershirt had no sleeves and the robe was the same red and yellow color that Zuko had. Her pants were a mud red and the shoes were a dark brown. She had ripped the soles off, letting her feet breathe and see the world around them. She topped it off by replacing her hair piece with a red and yellow hairband.

Aang picked out a jacket looking top. It was light and thin, keeping him cool despite the humid temperature of the Fire Nation. The sleeves of the jacket were a brownish color, having red and black arm sleeves that had the same color scheme as the torso of the robe. He had on brown pants to go along with the red and brown boots. Finally, to cover up his airbender tattoos, he wore a red bandana with the strands hanging down to his shoulders.

Katara had chosen something that still left her feeling at home. She was wearing a red top that draped over one shoulder, exposing her midriff. She was wearing a red sarong over brown pants that opened at the calves. She had on gold shoes that matched the arm sleeves and bands on her arms. She even had tied the top of her hair in a topknot, where she had a small Fire Nation emblem holding it altogether. Finally, to complete the disguise, she wore a red and gold choker necklace over her neck.

Zuko couldn't help but be entranced by her. His eyes went to her hands, seeing her fiddle with the blue necklace. He frowned as he approached her, placing his hands over her own. His eyes ran over her body, seeing the faint scars on her stomach and some on her shoulders. Katara looked up at him with sadness in her eyes.

"I know it's tough," Zuko said. "But we can't have anyone noticing us while we hide in the Fire Nation."

"I know," Katara sighed.

The firebender nodded once, cupping her face and kissing her lightly on the lips. She smiled into the kiss as he pulled away.

"Was that okay?" Zuko asked. "I know we had one kiss earlier but I wasn't sure."

"Zuko, it's okay," Katara laughed. "I'm actually glad you did. I wasn't sure if you felt the same way."

Zuko smiled again, only being cut off as Sokka and Suki approached them. The Silver Wolf froze as he saw all of them in Fire Nation outfits.

"What is this?" Sokka asked as he swallowed a handful of fish.

"Zuko said we needed new clothes to blend in," Aang answered.

Sokka nodded slowly. "That's actually not a bad idea."

The couple picked out there clothes together. Suki had a red top similar to Katara's, wearing a bigger necklace that went down to her chest. She wore red pants underneath a red skirt with red shoes. On her arms, she chose arm sleeves that reached the elbow and bands on her biceps. Sokka was wearing long brown tunic with small red shoulder pads. He had small red wrist sleeves on that gave a contrast to his black pants and red and brown sandals.

"Now that that's settled, what did Xu… or Dock… or whoever the fuck he is say?" Zuko asked as they continued looking around shops.

Sokka only shrugged, not bothering to turn and face Zuko. "They said something about the factory being a place where they make the weapons that were designed by the Mechanist."

"That explains the water then," Katara said, looking down at the murky water.

The Silver Wolf nodded once. "But it's not our problem, though. We just have to gather supplies and regroup before we go and make our next move."

"And what is our next move, oh brave captain?" Toph asked.

"I… I don't know, yet," Sokka mumbled.

Zuko sighed, looking up as Katara walked into a small shack that looked like it held old trinkets of the Fire Nation. Zuko followed her into it, looking at all the objects that seemed to bring back old memories. There were small clasps that reminded him of home. He saw an old book, _Legends of the Fire Nation_, all dusty and beat up. Katara found herself looking at it as well, smiling as she picked it up.

"I used to read this book a lot when I was trapped in that tower," Katara said. "The Blue Spirit was always my favorite legend."

The firebender raised a brow, remembering that he had his blue oni mask in his bag with his dual dao swords. She was fond of his alter ego, and she had no idea they were one in the same.

Zuko smirked as he came back to reality, looking over at the blue-eyed Avatar. "I vaguely remember being hit with this book a lot when I first met you. But hey, guess we have our own memories."

He laughed loudly as she slapped him playfully on the arm. "Smartass."

A commotion began growing outside. Zuko made sure his hood was on right as they stepped outside. His eyes locked onto Fire Nation soldiers marching towards the Docks. Zuko easily made the connection as they worked in the factory. He kept Katara close to his body, watching with careful eyes as the soldiers began rummaging through the different shops, ignoring the protests from everyone.

"Should we do something?" Katara asked.

Zuko shook his head, looking at the rest of the group and seeing them fight with restrain. "It'd be best to not interfere. Remember, we have to stay hidden from everyone."

"Please, this is all for my children," a woman protested as a solider grabbed a bag of money from behind her counter.

The soldier smirked. "This here is tax money, dumb bitch. You have to pay up."

Zuko seemed to have had enough now. He cocked his eyes over to Aang, nodding once. The airbender nodded back, slightly twirling his hand at his side. A simple rush of air came from underneath the counter, knocking the man backwards and off his feet into the grimy water. The soldiers grew angry as they pulled their man out, marching towards the woman as they engulfed their fist in flames.

"You'll regret that, cunt."

The firebender was the first one to react, having quickly regret his rash decision. He grabbed the soldier's wrist, pushing him back and snuffing the flames out. Zuko made sure to keep his face hidden away from the soldiers.

"Leave these people alone," Zuko snapped. "They've done nothing to you."

"If anything happens to these people, it'll be on you, traitor," the soldier warned, turning on his heel and walking away.

"I thought you said not to do anything," Katara said, walking up to Zuko.

Zuko sighed, looking over his shoulder to the woman who was fixing up her little shack. "Someone has to protect these people. Forget it though, let's go back to Appa and work on some firebending moves."

"Can you teach me that fireball hand trick?" Katara asked.

Zuko shrugged, looking at Sokka with a smirk. "Maybe if you burn off that stupid wolf's tail from your brother's head."

* * *

He made sure everyone was asleep before he decided to sneak away from his bed. Zuko's golden eyes stayed fixed on Katara as she breathed evenly, still lost in the world of sleep. He quickly tossed down his robe, changing into his black shozoku and raising the zukin over his mouth. Zuko fixed the scabbard to his back, grabbing the last piece of his disguise. He brushed over the ridges of the tusks, staring into the black eyes of his Blue Spirit mask.

Zuko fixed the mask over his face, quickly taking off up the path towards the factory. He felt calm in the world, once again behind the blue mask that he spent years in back in Ba Sing Se. His feet barely hit the ground as he pushed himself as fast as he could. It was different from when he leapt from rooftop to rooftop. The way the wind brushed past him felt different as he quickly slid behind a rock, looking through the mask and waiting as a patrol walked past him.

As the patrol neared him, Zuko leaped out from the shadows. The guards barely had enough time to even gasp, let alone scream at the sight of the Blue Spirit. He quickly snapped the neck of one of the guards before he grabbed the other one and slammed his head into the side of a boulder. The man opened his mouth to scream, but Zuko quickly covered it, slamming his head down again, stopping when he saw the blood beginning to leak from his head. Without even looking back, Zuko took off again, coming to the door and tapping on it softly. The door opened quickly, revealing a very disgruntled guard.

"What is it, now?"

The man only gasped as he saw the mask of the Blue Spirit appear in front of him. Zuko quickly disarmed the guard, slipping around the guard and squeezing on his neck. The man struggled for a few seconds before he finally stopped, relaxing as Zuko dropped him onto the ground. Zuko knew that he couldn't take out all the guards, but stopping and taking out as much as he could would be the next beneficial thing. He turned into the factory and ran down the hall, his eyes focused and his resolve even stronger.

The firebender came to a halt as he saw a large group of Fire Nation soldiers. They too saw him, quickly rising up from their seats and raising flame covered fists towards him.

"Shit."

The trouble with the Blue Spirit is that he couldn't firebend. Zuko forced himself to dodge the incoming streams of fire as he rolled forward. He pulled out his dual dao swords, spinning the blades around him before he sliced at the first firebender. Blood splashed everywhere as Zuko sliced at another guard. A fireball rushed by the side of his head, making him lose his balance for a second before he jammed the butt of his sword into the throat of one of the guards. The firebender struggled to breathe before Zuko's legs came across the side of his neck, knocking back over the metal chairs.

"Hey, freakshow, take this!"

Zuko easily spun around the arc of fire, flipping one sword in the air and grabbing it by the tip. He flung it with all the force he could muster, watching it pierce the forehead of the soldier. Zuko smirked as he stepped forward, pulling the sword out and wiping it on the clothes and armor of the firebenders. Zuko was ready to walk out when he stopped, seeing something run past the door.

_Was that my robe?_

Narrowing his eyes under the mask, Zuko took off through the hallway. He saw it now, knowing that it was truly his robe that was on the person running past him. Zuko pushed himself to run faster now as he turned the corner, seeing the figure moving her arms back and forth. He could hear the sound of water sloshing back and forth from the metal containers. Underneath the mask, he raised a brow as he watched her movements, fighting the urge to be entranced by the way her body moved with the water.

"Katara?" Zuko whispered to himself.

Before Katara could continue her movements, she stopped at the sight of the blue mask. Zuko's eyes widened underneath the mask, seeing her blue eyes also widen as she took in the sight of him.

"It's you… you're real," Katara said.

The mask only nodded once, watching as the Avatar slowly approached him. Zuko froze underneath the mask as she was standing right in front of him now, reaching up and touching the coldness of the mask. His eyes fluttered as he felt as if she was actually touching him. He blew out a rush of air from his nose, composing himself as he stared at her through his mask. Zuko narrowed his eyes, letting himself fall into his alter ego.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko whispered in a voice unlike his own.

"You speak?" Katara asked as she stepped back. "The legend said that you never spoke. That you were a silent protector."

"Legends tend to exaggerate things," Zuko spoke louder in his disguised voice.

Katara swallowed nervously. "All those people… was that you?"

Zuko made the mask nod, fearing she would be appalled by his actions. She said nothing, only nodding in return. She had been curious onto why those guards were down and she had no resistance in getting into the factory.

"Those men deserved it," Katara said.

The firebender had to admit that that was now the answer he was expecting. He was caught off guard by it, quickly composing himself as he took a small step closer to her, fighting the urge to hold her now.

"How can you say that?"

"The Fire Nation has done evil things to all these people," Katara said. "Someone has to punish them."

The mask nodded again, turning on his heel and extending his arm. The two began walking together. "So all firebenders are evil?"

"All except one," Katara looked up at the blue mask. "His name is Zuko. He saved me from my prison last month."

Underneath the emotionless mask, Zuko was grinning like a mad man. He nodded understandingly as they walked past the corpses. He was slightly surprised that there were no alarms going off with the commotion that they had caused.

"What were you planning to do?" Zuko asked, almost forgetting to speak in his muffled voice.

"Just hinder the factory," Katara said. "If I at least hurt the production, maybe the water could have time to heal."

Zuko had opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of footsteps came from behind them. _So much for no alarms._ He turned quickly, seeing a blast of fire coming towards them. Zuko quickly pushed Katara out of the way, having no time to pull out his swords. He defied his rule once again, slicing through the air and pushing the fire away from him and Katara. Giving him time to pull out his swords, Zuko lit the edges on fire, slicing through the air and shooting arcs of fire, knocking the guards back. A stream of water came from his side, seeing Katara pushing water from a small pouch and freezing the men against the wall.

The mask nodded once as he snuffed out the flames, fitting his swords back into the scabbard. He turned around, seeing Katara lower her hood. She came closer to him, reaching up to touch the side of the mask where Zuko's scar was.

"Zuko? Is that you?"

A sigh came from under the mask as he hooked his thumb under the chin of the mask, lifting it over his head and revealing his scarred face. The Avatar smiled softly as Zuko lowered his zukin, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're the Blue Spirit… so I guess my dream did come true," Katara said.

Zuko smirked. "I guess so… wait, what are you doing in my robe?"

"Well, there's another legend I read that I felt this was close enough to look like," Katara admitted, looking away.

"Which one?" The firebender raised his brow.

"The Painted Lady," Katara mumbled.

Zuko chucked as he stepped closer to Katara. He leaned down, taking her lips in a deep kiss before pulling back and resting his forehead against hers. It pushed the mask off his head, not really paying attention to it.

"Next time, don't go alone," Katara whispered.

"I could say the same to you, Avatar Katara," Zuko snickered.

She pushed into him again, capturing his lips with a deep kiss. It was unlike the ones they shared in the past few days. Zuko found his hands on her hips and her arms were around his neck. Their lips slicked against each other as their tongues softly touched tips before pulling apart to suck in air before going at it again. Zuko softly nibbled on her bottom lip as they pulled apart, Katara whimpering softly as she looked up at him.

"We should probably get back before someone wakes up and realize we're gone," Zuko suggested.

"Toph probably already knows," Katara said. "I have a feeling she has known."

Zuko nodded, picking up his mask and walking out of the factory, finding his hand lacing with Katara's. He smiled widely as he fitted the mask on top of his head. As they reached their spot, Zuko removed the mask and scabbard, not wanting to be seen with his Blue Spirit gear. They sat down together, seeing that everyone was still asleep as they sat down against Appa's legs, listening as the large beast snored the same rhythm as Aang did.

"Zuko, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

Katara hesitated for a split second. "Why am I the Avatar?"

The firebender shrugged as he leaned into Appa, feeling her head fall into the crook of his shoulder. "My uncle always said that destiny works in different ways. Maybe this is one of those times."

"I wish I was just a regular waterbender," Katara whispered.

"You're destined for great things, Katara. Being the Avatar means having to bring balance to the world. And you won't be alone for any of that."

Zuko waited for a response, but never got one. Looking down, he saw that she had fallen into sleep. He chuckled, making sure the robe covered her completely as he carried her back to her sleeping bag. Zuko rested back on his own makeshift bed, his eyes closing too and sleep coming for him as well.


	12. Old Scars

**A/N: Warning, signs and details of abuse in this chapter. Just wanna let you all know going into this.**

* * *

_"Faster, it has to be more ferocious!"_

Two weeks had passed since Zuko and the others left Jang Hui. The soldiers and factory workers couldn't find what had caused the factory to stop working. When they had come down to blame the villagers, it was Zuko and Aang who rushed them away. The villagers thanked their new heroes, letting them know that they were forever in their debt for saving their village from pollution and from the wrath of the Fire Nation soldiers. They were heroes now in the Fire Nation. Their legend would be told across all of Jang Hui and the neighboring villages.

_"Fire comes from within, use that energy and expel it!"_

The group traveled deeper into the Fire Nation colonies, still separated from the rest of the uprising. Sokka and Suki had begun to send letters to their allies across the Fire Nation, letting them know that they had found the Avatar and would begin to bring the attack to Father Ozai and his city of Caldera. With Katara ready to accept the training, Zuko was the first to begin training her in firebending. She needed to make sure it was perfected, being the opposite element and possibly the hardest for her to learn.

"Spin into it, let the energy flow through you," Zuko said as he watched Katara with his arms crossed over her chest.

They had found a small little lake in the middle of a small colony. They were in the tides, dressed down in their under wrappings. Zuko was only in a loose red shirt and pants with the hem rolled up to his knees. Katara was in white wrappings, focusing as she moved through the water, pushing her fists forward and expelling fire from her knuckles. Zuko watched as the fireball rushed over his head. He nodded again, his golden eyes latching onto her as a face lit up with a smile.

"Good."

The Avatar beamed now, throwing her hands into the air and whooping with pride.

"Now, do it again," Zuko ordered.

"Really?" Katara whined, dropping her arms to her side. "We've done this like five times already."

"Yeah, Sparky, it's time to share Sweetness with the rest of us," Toph snickered as she stomped over to them.

Katara raised a brow as she looked over at the blind earthbender. "Sweetness?"

"So, when are you going to tell Sokka about you two?" Toph asked, ignoring Katara's question.

The firebender and Avatar exchanged looks as they walked out of the lake. Zuko warmed his body, steam rising from his body. He felt Katara's stare on him, smirking as she turned away and blushed at the sight as Zuko ruffled his hair. Toph sighed, rolling her eyes as she could _feel_ the tension between the two of them. She asked her question again, getting both of their attention this time.

"Tell him what, exactly?" Katara asked, pulling her sarong back on.

"That you're fucking your firebender in shining armor," Toph cackled, only imagining the look on their faces. "You know what, Sparky can figure it out. In the meantime, it's time for earthbending training. Get a move on!"

Neither had any time to say before Toph found Katara's hand, dragging her away from the lake to a good solid place to teach her earthbending. Zuko stood there with his mouth open, shocked on how blunt Toph was. He shook his head, rolling his pants down and grabbing his boots. His golden eyes looked over as Toph and Katara began their training. The Blind Bandit was yelling things about being tough and having a strong base. It made Zuko laugh, seeing that Toph was already a natural teacher.

"What are you looking at, Zuko?"

Zuko sighed, turning and looking at Sokka. The leader of the uprising was walking over with his boomerang, turning to see what Zuko was staring at, seeing Katara move through sharp blunt movements, trying to lift the earth from the ground.

"Why is my sister only in her wrappings?" Sokka raised a brow, staring at Zuko.

Zuko shrugged. "Ask her. She's your sister."

"I'm asking you," Sokka snapped. "I've seen the way you two look at each other and all the touchy stuff."

The firebender chuckled. "And?"

"Watch it, okay?" Sokka asked in a pleading tone, which surprised Zuko. "I've already lost her once, Zuko. I _can't _lose her again, understand?"

Zuko sighed, placing a hand on Sokka's shoulder and giving him an understanding look. "When I realize what we even are, I'll tell you, okay?"

"Okay," Sokka said. "I guess we all have some training to do, right?"

"I guess so," Zuko said as the two sat down and looked over the food that Sokka and Aang had got.

Most of it was fish, being that it was really the only option. Aang had went out and got some berries and nuts for himself. He followed the strict rules of the Air Nomads. It was somewhat of a burden on Sokka, having to make sure there was always something vegetarian for Aang to eat.

"What kind of nuts are those?" Zuko asked.

"I think they're lychee nuts," Aang answered, popping a few into his mouth.

Zuko nodded, reaching for one of the fish and taking it into his hands. He stopped as he heard everyone gasp. Another sigh left Zuko's mouth as he put the fish down. He knew that they had all saw his scars and was no point in hiding it. Slowly, Zuko took off his robe and shirt, tossing them aside.

"How… what happened?" Aang asked.

"It's a long story," Zuko answered.

"You can tell us," Sokka added. "Remembering, we're all training?"

Before Zuko could say anything, there was a small tremor that shook through them. Looking up, they saw Katara throwing her hands up into the air as Toph who snickered. Katara went through the motions again, stomping on the ground and pushing forward, sending the clod of earth into the lake.

"I can earthbend now!" Katara exclaimed, running over to Zuko.

She came to a stop, seeing Zuko's bare chest. Her eyes widened, taking in all the scars that marred his pale skin. Katara made her way towards him, letting her fingers trace the flurry of scars. They were all on his chest, back, shoulders and forearms. How had she not seen these before? The numerous times they trained and even when he was only in a shirt and no robe on.

"There's so many," Katara whispered, her fingers still ghosting over his body.

"How did you get those?" Suki asked from Sokka's side.

"My father," Zuko answered softly. "It was the reason why I left Caldera… why I left the Fire Nation altogether."

"Can you tell us?" Katara asked softly, not taking her eyes off of Zuko's arms.

He slowly nodded, watching as everyone sat down and looked up at him. Zuko let out a rush of air as he sat down next to Katara. Both ignored Sokka as he looked at their hands, seeing them lace within each other's. Zuko's eyes moved rapidly as he tried to find a place to start with his stories about what his scars held.

"My first one happened just after my father deemed Father of Caldera," Zuko started. "He had hired this professional firebender to teach me and sister how to firebend. My sister, Azula, was always a natural, a prodigy that was fucking perfect. Me… my father always said I was lucky to be born."

"You told this one already," Katara said, wanting him to stop.

"I know... but you don't know all of it," the firebender said, turning to stare at the Avatar.

Katara only nodded, hanging her head now.

"Anyways, I couldn't get the technique right and the fire kept blowing up in my face," the firebender continued. "My fath-… Ozai was disappointed. So, he went and did this to my face."

"That... that bastard," Sokka said, clenching his fists at his side.

Zuko sighed, his breath quivering as he tried to find the words. "It didn't stop there. After my scar healed, he kept giving me more every time I couldn't get firebending done right. He always made sure they were in places no one could see.

"One day, he ended up breaking a few of my ribs. I thought I was dying, having such a hard time breathing. My uncle was the only one there for me… I was alone… I wasn't even sure what to do anymore."

Katara stood up, fighting back tears as she looked over at Aang. "Aang, teach me how to airbend. Now."

The firebender said nothing, knowing that it was hurting her just as much as it was hurting him on the inside. Suki and Sokka said nothing, only stood up as well, taking Toph with them. Zuko didn't blame any of them. His past was littered with horrors that no one would want to listen to. He stood up, walking off somewhere into the small patch of trees. He leaned back against a tree, sliding down to his bottom and letting the tears come out as he fought desperately to push the memories away.

_"Show me what you have learned, Zuko."_

_ Zuko sighed, rolling his shoulders and turning towards his teacher. They presented the Fire Nation symbol and bowed to each other. Both exhaled, Zuko making the first move. He jumped into the air, kicking out fire towards the older firebender. As Zuko's feet touched the ground, he spun on his heel, raising his other leg high and swinging it down, producing a large arc of fire. Behind that, he punched two fireballs forward as he steadied his breathing._

_ The older firebender sliced away the fire before pushing a stream of his own. Zuko smirked as he spun to the side, bringing the butt of his hands together and blasting a strong force of fire. The older firebender nodded to his pupil before charging again. Zuko ran forward, sliding under his teacher's fiery kick before turning up to his feet. As he turned his fists upwards, ready to strike, he felt the backfire shoot into him. The fire in his hands exploded in front of him, sending him flying backwards and rolling over his head and onto his chest._

_The leader of Caldera's somewhat proud smirk vanished as he rose from the dais. He marched down, his hands clasped behind his back as he turned and stared at his son's firebending mentor._

_ "Master Jeong Jeong, leave us," Ozai snapped._

_ Jeong Jeong bowed to Ozai, turning on his heel and walking out of the Main Room. As soon as the door closed, Ozai rounded on Zuko, kicking his son in the ribs. Zuko cried out as he was lifted off the ground before he went sprawling across the floor. He coughed up what looked like blood as he looked up towards his father._

_ "Father… I'm sorry."_

_ "You're sorry?" Ozai roared, lifting up Zuko to his feet. "You're sorry for smearing my name in Caldera and disgracing this family?"_

_ "Please, father, I won't do it again."_

_ Ozai said nothing else, only punch Zuko in the same spot he had kicked him. Zuko cried out as he felt bones cracking underneath his skin. He collapsed onto the floor, stuck in the fetal position as he struggled to breath, cringing with every breath that came in and out of his lungs. Zuko couldn't move, but only listen as his father walked out of the Main Room, leaving him alone in a pool of his own shame._

"Zuko?"

His eyes snapped open at her voice. It was dark now, the sun finding its rest and the moon rising high into the sky. Zuko felt groggy as he tried to stand up, leaning against the tree for support. He listened for Katara's voice as he turned around the tree. He gasped, seeing that he was face to face with her blue eyes. A soft smile crept onto his face as he looked down at her. Before he could speak, she was throwing herself into his chest, her arms wrapping around his chest and her face burying into his shirt. She had a smell like jasmine, ash, and even a bit of grass and dirt. It was intoxicating.

Zuko looked down, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head with such tender that she probably didn't feel it.

"I'm sorry," Katara said as she pulled back, looking up at the golden eyed firebender. "You didn't have to tell us any of those stories."

"It's okay," Zuko answered. "I would've told you eventually."

He watched her moves carefully. Her soft fingers traced up his sleeve, running over the dips and ridges all over his arms. Zuko gasped as her hands now ran up his shirt. She felt the scars from all his nights being beaten by Ozai and when he was the Blue Spirit. His breath hitched as now he found her fingers running down his chest. She leaned her forehead against him, holding back tears.

"I wish I could've saved you, Zuko," Katara whispered softly. "I'm the Avatar… I should be able to help everybody."

"You can't save everyone, Katara," Zuko whispered back, reaching up and cupping her face. "The world needs you more than I do."

"But I need you more than the world needs me," Katara said, holding back tears. "You've freed me, Zuko. In more ways than one."

"All I did was save you from a tower," Zuko snickered, earning himself a playful slap on the arm.

"You mean the world to me, Zuko," Katara spoke softly. "Ever since I saw you in the pagoda tower, I knew you were more than just my rescuer. You were my savior."

Zuko said nothing after this. He only crashed his lips against hers, pushing all of his emotions into the kiss. Katara pushed back into the kiss, fisting his shirt in her hands as Zuko wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. Their lips pressed against each other in a fierce battle for dominance. She pressed back into the tree, biting on his bottom lip as his tongue brushed the space between her lips and tongue.

They slid to the floor, Katara finding herself straddling Zuko's hips. Their lips never separated as her hands ventured back under his shirt and raked her nails down his chest. The firebender hissed into her mouth before he began trailing kisses down her cheek, to her neck. His lips burned into her skin as his hands too found themselves untying her sarong, letting it fall to the floor. A soft moan came from her lips as he softly pressed kisses into the crook of her neck.

"Zuko," Katara whispered his name into his ears.

There was a fire burning inside Zuko now as he trailed his hands up her sides, grazing the side of her breasts, earning another moan from her. His hands were now lifting at the hem of her shirt. When she flinched, he hesitated. Looking down at her, finally taking his lips off her body, he remembered the scars he saw from earlier. Zuko traced his fingers over the ones on her stomach, feeling her body shiver underneath her touch. Slowly, he felt her hands went around his neck, brushing the back of his hair lightly. Both of them were trying to catch their breath as Zuko found himself brushing the scars on her arms softly.

"How did you get these?" Zuko asked.

"From Azula," Katara whispered back, resting her forehead against Zuko's. "And some were from Ozai."

Zuko frowned, bringing his lips to kiss each of her scars. Her body was trembling slightly underneath his lips. Her hands ran through his shaggy hair as he held her like a delicate flower. Coming back up to face her, his face had changed. It was loaded with determination and angst.

"I'm gonna kill them," Zuko promised. "I'm going to make them pay."

"No, Zuko," Katara shook her head, bringing herself closer to his body. "We don't have to do that. _You_ don't have to do that."

"They've hurt us," the firebender snapped. "Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally."

The Avatar shushed Zuko by placing soft kisses over his face. He fought the urge to chuckle before her lips were on his again. "I don't wanna talk about it anymore, Zuko. Please? I just want to forget all of it."

"Okay," Zuko said with a nod. "We should probably get back to the others, they're probably worried by now."

"Yeah," Katara smiled.

The two stood up, Zuko dusting himself off and adjusting his robes as Katara did the same with her own clothes. Zuko stood in front of her, reaching out and wiping away a stray tear down her cheek. Katara smiled and leaned into his hand, kissing the inside of his wrist as they turned and started walking out of the patch of trees and back to where everyone was. Somewhere along the way, their hands found each other and their fingers laced between each other.

"Where were you guys?" Suki asked as they came into view.

"Talking about some things," Zuko answered as they sat down together.

Sokka groaned and rolled his eyes with an exaggerated expression. "Do you guys have to be so close and touchy?"

Zuko smirked as Katara leaned into his chest, his arm draping around her shoulders and keeping her body close to his warmth. Everyone laughed as Sokka turned away in a huff, crossing his arms over his chest and sticking his nose into the air.

"Hey, Zuko," Aang said, rubbing the top of his bald head. "We're sorry about asking you about your scars."

The firebender raised a hand to silence Aang from speaking more. "It's okay. I think I needed to let it out. I've been holding all of it this time for years, and it's been haunting me. To let it all out, I think it was beneficial."

"Well, even though Sokka won't admit it, we're friends," Suki said with a smile, soothing Sokka's ego as he pouted. "You can talk to us."

Zuko nodded once before turning to look down at Katara. Her blue eyes were focused on him, watching him with intent. He flashed a smile before kissing the top of her head and nuzzling his nose into her hair.

"Keep it in your pants, Sparky."

_"What?!"_

* * *

"What do you mean you lost them?"

Ozai's voice was harsh, carrying malice and rage as he stared down from his dais. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee were all kneeling below the steps, ignoring the rise of flames from Ozai's words.

"It seems that the Avatar was able to tap into her Avatar State," Azula explained. "And they had a traitor with them."

"A traitor? Do you mean Zuko?"

The Father of Caldera almost laughed as Azula looked up, her face covered in a very shocked expression. She was searching for words as she felt left out. Everyone knew that Zuko was back except for her. Her own father kept this from her. She closed her mouth, steadying her breath before finding the right words to say to her father. She was on the verge of being humiliated right now in front of Mai and Ty Lee. In front of her father.

_In front of herself._

"Yes," Azula hissed. "Zuko has joined the uprising as the Avatar's firebending mentor, father."

"So, Zuko manages to steal my Avatar, and then finds a way to beat you and add more forces to the uprising?" Ozai asked, rising from his dais and stepping down. "Tell me, how do _you_ think it looks to me?"

The trio said nothing, only stare down at the ground as Ozai's large figure loomed over them. The Father of Caldera quickly waved off Mai and Ty Lee, who bowed to Ozai and quickly paced out of the Main Room. The door closed and Ozai quickly pulled Azula up by her topknot. The firebending prodigy screamed loudly as Ozai pulled her face to meet his. His face was contorted into a deep snarl.

"You fail me, Azula," Ozai snapped. "It disappoints me to see that."

He released her from his grip, ignoring her grunt as she crumbled to the floor. Azula quickly scrambled to her feet, keeping her head down.

"It won't happen again, Father Ozai," Azula snapped. "I will bring back the Avatar and Zuko."

"You will not do this alone," Ozai said.

"I have Mai and Ty Lee, I am not alone in this."

Ozai shook his head, walking back up his dais and summoning the flames behind him once more. He sat down, amused by the confused look that was on his daughter's face as she stared up at him.

"What do you mean, then?" Azula asked.

"You will take Avatar Katara's guardian with you," Ozai ordered. "Shaw, the Blue Dragon, will be the one to bring her back to me. You will bring Zuko's head to my throne on a spear. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father Ozai."

Azula bowed once more as Ozai dismissed her. She kept her eyes down until she closed the door behind her. Mai and Ty Lee were waiting there for her. Ty Lee did her best to keep her bubbly attitude going about auras and other stuff. Mai, on the other hand, had a very disdain look on her face. Her arms were crossed and her lips were set in a very thin and tight line.

"Zuko is back?" Mai asked, narrowing her eyes.

"It appears that way, Mai," Azula snapped, leading her partners down the hall.

"You know he never even said goodbye to me," Mai mumbled. "Not even a letter or anything. Stupid bastard."

"Is he really sending Shaw with us?" Ty Lee asked, a large smile on her face.

Azula sighed as they rounded the corner and into her bedroom. A memory of her talking to Zuko on his last night in the palace flashed quickly in her mind before she shook it away, sitting down on the bed, undoing her topknot and letting her hair fall and frame her face. She stared at herself in the mirror, seeing the anger and rage in her eyes. What would her mother say if she saw her like this?

_A monster. A cold blooded monster._

_That's what mommy would say._

"It appears so," Azula hissed, turning on the two. "We leave tomorrow. Go and get ready."


	13. The Dragon

"I never thought you would get firebending so quickly."

Katara finished through her movements, kicking her leg down and pushing out an arc of fire. She was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down her body as she turned and looked over at Zuko. He was wearing no shirt, only the pants, just like he always did when the two of them trained together. She rolled her shoulders once before she rested her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

"Why is that?" Katara asked.

"My uncle used to tell me that the Avatar would always have a hard time learning the opposite element," Zuko explained, crossing his arms over his body. "You're a natural waterbender. So, firebending should have been difficult."

She only shrugged as she went through the movements again, pushing her closed fists forward and pushing out fireballs forward now. Zuko nodded to himself, watching as she now began working through the other elements. She glided through the water, creating large gusts of air through the water. She raised two slabs of earth from under the lake, pushing the slabs across the lake. And finally, her natural element. She spun the ribbon of water around her body before snapping it at a tree. Once she finished, she bent over and rested her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

"Impressive," Zuko chuckled as she turned and walked over to him. "You're quite a natural at this, Avatar Katara."

Katara smiled, raising herself on her toes and kissing him on the cheek before she kept walking past him. Zuko turned on his heel, walking behind her as they made their way back to everyone else. They sat down together, catching the end of a conversation of Sokka going on about getting a fishing hook stuck in his thumb and trying to remove it with another fishing hook.

"Sometimes I wonder how you even wake up in the morning, Snoozles," Toph snickered loudly.

"Hey, I got it out… eventually," Sokka grumbled.

Zuko raised a brow as everyone started laughing again. He only shrugged as he found his tunic and slipped it back over his chest. The firebender rolled his shoulders as a bowl of stew was passed to him. He nodded to Katara, smiling his thanks as he began eating. He was a little greedy when it came to eating food; he never had a real meal in his years in Ba Sing Se. Zuko wasn't a great cook, so he was always eating scraps and whatever he could steal when he was out as the Blue Spirit.

"We need to start forming a plan," Sokka said as he swallowed the stew. "The uprising knows where we are, but we need to start forming our strategy."

Zuko nodded to Sokka. "We could send a message to my uncle and the rest of the White Lotus members. They have members scattered all over the place."

"But they're all old people," Aang complained.

"My uncle says experience is always a plus."

The airbender was about to speak when the ground shook underneath them. Everyone looked up, hearing the sound of a distant roar. Appa had awoken from his nap, growling as he looked up as well, readying himself in an attack position. Katara stood up quickly, shaking her head with a fearful expression on her face.

"What is it?" Zuko asked, having his suspicions already.

"It's Shaw…"

"Who?" Everyone asked.

Katara shook her head. "He was my guardian… he's a dragon."

"A dragon?!" Sokka exclaimed. "I thought they were all extinct."

"All except one, apparently," Katara snapped.

Zuko frowned, looking back towards everyone. "Get everything packed up and into the saddle. He doesn't seem that close. Maybe Appa could get us far away from him before he catches us."

Everyone quickly moved, loading their things into Appa's saddle as another roar shook the earth. They loaded up quickly, Zuko helping Toph onto the saddle as a flume of fire grew in front of them. Before Zuko could even move, Katara slid in front of him. Her eyes snapped open, glowing a bright white. She raised her hands into the air, the flames coming to a stop. She stepped forward and sliced through the air, snuffing the flames out before Zuko stepped in to help. Together, they firebended the flames to nothing as a roar echoed around them again. Zuko turned, seeing Katara's eyes closing and her body going limp. He was able to catch her before she fell, looking up to the saddle.

"Help me!"

Toph quickly propelled the two into the air with a clenching of her fists, the two landing softly thanks to Aang's airbending. Just as they landed, the final roar was heard. Everyone looked up, seeing the dragon present itself.

It had a long scaly body that thinned out towards the tail. It had jagged white spikes running the length of its body. Scars marred the perfection of the body from other fights with dragons and firebenders who hunted them. Its wings tore the air around them as they flapped majestically. Its mouth was open, large fangs barred and ready as smoke stemmed from the back of its throat as fire was building up inside of its long body, ready to make another attack.

"Go!" Zuko yelled.

"Appa, yip yip!" The airbender didn't need to be told twice.

The sky-bison roared as it took off. Shaw, the dragon, took this as a challenge, roaring back and soaring through the air towards Appa. Zuko quickly balanced himself on the saddle, pressing the butt of his hands together and forming a large fireball. As he exhaled, a large stream shot from the fireball. Shaw quickly flew to one side, narrowly missing the stream that Zuko fought to keep going, moving it back and forth to keep the dragon off of them.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Sokka hollered.

"Why don't you try flying away from a dragon?" Aang shot back. "Here, you take over now!"

Sokka and Aang found somehow to switch. Aang quickly moved next to Zuko, pushing out strong gusts of air; they were hitting the dragon and propelling them faster across the sky. One could only imagine how people wondered how a sky-bison and dragon fighting in the air looked like. Zuko paused to catch his breath, dropping his arms to his side as he panted heavily now.

Shaw had no hesitation. The large dragon opened its mouth, blasting out a large stream of fire. Aang scrambled, circling his hands above his head and forming a barrier. He pushed it forward, making the fire arc around Appa as he roared and groaned from the heat. Zuko, still not breathing right, reached out and pulled the fire towards him. He brandished two large whips, swinging them with as much force as he could muster, hitting the side of Shaw. The dragon howled loudly as it fluttered in the air for a second before regaining itself.

"It's too much," Aang yelled over the sound of the wind rushing around them. "No matter what we do, it keeps coming back."

Zuko growled, looking over his shoulder at the unconscious Avatar. He had no idea what he just saw with her eyes glowing white, but he knew it took most of her energy. She had almost sacrificed herself for him and now he was failing her. Turning back around, Zuko shook his head at Aang. Without another word, he moved back to the end of the saddle. He ran as fast as he could, pushing of the edge of the saddle and soaring into the air.

"Zuko! What are you doing?" Suki cried out.

The firebender waited until he felt himself no longer rising. He kicked his legs out, fire shooting out from his soles and propelling him forward. Another rush of fire from his fists sent him just over Shaw's head. Zuko reached out, grabbing one of the horns that extended from the dragon's head. Zuko was whipped around quickly, landing into the mane of the dragon. He quickly gathered himself, grabbing onto the rough hair and pulling as hard as he could. Shaw growled, beginning to spin his body in circles in hopes to throw the firebender off of him.

Back on Appa's saddle, Katara was finally stirring and coming out of her unconscious state. She looked up, her eyes scanning for her firebender. He wasn't there. She shot up quickly, fear running over her body that they had left him to fall with the dragon.

"Where's Zuko?" she yelled, startling everyone.

No one answered her, only looked up at the dragon. From the saddle, Katara could make out the figure of Zuko as the large beast began rising high into the air and dropping down, hoping to shake Zuko off of him. Katara gasped, stepping towards the edge of the saddle.

"Katara, stop, it's too dangerous!" Sokka yells from the top of Appa's head.

Katara had already toned everyone out by this point. Another blinding energy rushed over her as she stepped off the edge of the saddle. Her eyes opened, revealing a bright white color. She shot her arms out, her airbending keeping her floating in the air. She propelled herself forward with her firebending, almost identical to how Zuko did it just moments ago. Flying through the air, Katara pushed another wave of fire at Shaw, hitting him in the side. Zuko looked up, seeing Katara coming towards him.

"Katara, stop," Zuko cried.

His words went ignored as Katara crash landed next to him. The impact startled her from her trance-like state, a sudden realization crashing over her as she stared wide-eyed at Zuko.

"What are you doing?" Katara yelled.

"Me?" Zuko exclaimed. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Trying to save your ass."

The dragon roared again, diving towards the ground with speed that made the wind slap the two benders across the face. Zuko let out a short scream as he felt his grip slipping. Katara reached for him, their hands itching at each other before both of them lost their grip. They hung in the air for what felt like forever as they stared at the ground together. The firebender reached for his Avatar, finding some way to bring her into his chest before he rolled himself over. With a gasp, they hit the ground together, skidding across the ground as Shaw flew back up into the sky. Katara slowly rolled off of Zuko, who was heaving and trying to catch his breath as his face was knotted in pain.

"Zuko? Are you okay?" Katara asked, hovering over him.

He nodded as he waved her off, pulling himself up and sitting up straight. Zuko rolled his shoulders, already beginning to feel the aches and strain as Katara helped him stand up. Both looked up, seeing the dragon flying after a moving spot in the sky. Zuko assumed that spot was actually Appa and everyone else. There was no way Shaw would give them time to circle back and pick them up.

"What do we do now, Zuko?"

The firebender shrugged. "We have to lay low. If the dragon is here, Azula can't be far behind."

_"Oh, how right you are."_

The two whipped around, seeing Azula standing there, her arms crossed over her armored covered chest. Mai and Ty Lee were at her sides, both standing ready to attack. Azula's smirk grew even larger as she saw Zuko and Katara squat down into attack positions as well.

"Do you two really think you can beat us?" Azula prompted, raising a brow. "It'd be best if you just surrender and come back to Caldera with us. Especially you, Zuko. Father is just _dying_ to see you again.

"Go to hell," Zuko snapped.

"Your choice, Zu-Zu."

Mai and Ty Lee moved like lightning, vastly faster than they were the last time they met. Mai went after Zuko, flinging her shurikens at him with deadly speed and accuracy. The firebender barely had time to roll to the side before she was on top of him. A part of Mai that was rarely seen was her hand to hand combat. Her skill with knives and other weapons was the first thing to intimidate people she fought. She threw quick sharp jabs, which Zuko easily slapped away. Two knives were flung out of her sleeves, one catching Zuko on his arm. He cursed under his breath, shooting small sparks of fire to melt the knives that were flying towards his head.

"You ruined my life, Zuko," Mai drawled. "You ruined everything."

Zuko eased himself, trying to catch his breath. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You couldn't even leave a letter… you bastard."

They were at it again, Mai beginning to fight with emotions. Zuko saw an opening, sliding in quickly and grabbing one of Mai's arms. Spinning around her, he twisted her arm with him, pinning it against her back. Zuko applied force to it, making her drop to her knees.

"Stop this," Zuko whispered. "Stop fighting for Azula."

Those words would've worked, if it wasn't for a streaking funnel of blue fire sending Zuko sprawling across the floor.

* * *

Katara had to deal with Ty Lee. She was quicker than Azula and Mai. She only had her bending to keep the unusually bouncy acrobat from getting close to her. She started with earthbending, shooting out clods of earth at Ty Lee. The girl in the bright pink outfit only bounced off her clod, making her body bend and duck over slabs that Katara was shooting out.

She quickly switched to airbending, trying to catch Ty Lee in the air when she was flipping. It was difficult to predict where she would land, shooting gusts into nowhere.

"Your aura is really red… that's bad," Ty Lee said as she landed on her feet before doing a split to dodge another gust.

Katara let out a low growl before beginning to push out fire. She had no source of water to bend, making her feel naked without her natural element. The heat from the fire made Ty Lee gasp before she eventually found a way to get in close to Katara. The Avatar quickly remembered what Zuko said about Ty Lee being able to chi block and take away your bending temporarily. She made an extra effort to dodge Ty Lee's sharp jabs to her body. As Ty Lee went one way, Katara was able to slide the opposite direction, gathering the air around her and pushing Ty Lee backwards and sprawling across the ground, flipping over her head.

Before the Avatar could even make another move, the sound of fire exploding caught her attention. Katara looked up in time to see Azula's blue fire hit Zuko in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

"Zuko!" Katara cried out.

This was all Ty Lee needed to spring back up and charge at Katara. The Avatar was now reeling as Ty Lee managed to land a series of quick jabs down Katara's arm. She let out a groan as her entire right side when numb. Her arm was limp, giving her no time to defend herself as Ty Lee punched down her legs, causing her to flop to the floor and groan in pain.

* * *

Zuko could only watch as he saw Katara lying on the floor in a heap as Ty Lee stood over her. As he stood up, blue fire and stilettos came racing towards him. He opted to dodge the fire, taking the blade across his thigh. A low growl came from him as he punched forward a wave of fire. All three girls rolled around the wave, charging forward towards Zuko. The firebender dropped to his back, propping up onto his hands and spinning on his palms. Waves of fire echoed from his feet as he spun, knocking down the flying shurikens from Mai and pushing back Ty Lee.

Of course, Azula easily leapt over the flames and continued towards Zuko.

Blue fire erupted against orange fire as the siblings fired at each other. Azula kept closing the distance, shooting streams just past the side of Zuko's head. The firebender only gasped as Azula shot lightning just past his head. His eyes were wide, amazed that he missed her charging up the lightning.

The other two were up now, charging with all their speed.

"Shit," Zuko cursed under his breath.

Mai pulled out small daggers, flinging them at Zuko with deadly speed. He kept dodging them, backing up until he ended up bumping into a tree. A small gasp came as daggers pinned his robe to the tree. Ty Lee landed in front of him, smiling widely at him. Before Zuko could react, he felt her quick jabs down his body. His limbs went numb, his bending gone as now Azula slowly approached him. Zuko grunted as she grabbed him by the jaw, holding his head steady and smirking at him.

"It seems your _friends_ have abandoned you, Zuko," Azula snickered.

"Well, you got us. Now what?" Zuko mocked her.

"Father wants the Avatar brought back to him alive," Azula chuckled, narrowing her eyes at her older brother. "You… well, I'll leave that to your imagination."

There was a deafening roar, signaling the return of Shaw. Zuko could only watch as the dragon landed just next to them. The firebender forced himself to look up, not being able to see any moving object in the sky. He was hoping that maybe they had escaped from Shao and were now hiding. It was the best and only option for them to do. Zuko remained quiet as Mai dragged him to the dragon. His golden eyes flickered over to Katara, who was lying next to him as the dragon soared back up into the sky.

* * *

_"Zuko… it's been too long."_

Zuko's body trembled at the sound of his father's voice. He kept his stare to the ground, feeling Katara's body tremble right next to him. The footsteps from his father's boots echoed around him as he eventually saw his feet stop in front of him.

"Azula has done well in bringing you both to me," Ozai sneered.

"Thank you, Father Ozai," Azula said from her kneeling position.

"The Boiling Rock will make a great home for the two of you," Ozai said. "That is, until I decide on what to do with you."

Zuko forced himself to stay quiet as he felt his father pull him up by the hair. Tears were already pooling in his eyes as Ozai tightened his grip before he threw Zuko back to the ground. He skipped over Katara, nodding to the two guards to take them away. The benders were pulled up to their feet, guards at their sides as Ty Lee's chi blocking punches were still affecting the two of them.

"What do we do, Zuko?" Katara asked.

"We wait," Zuko whispered back as they were loaded into the transport cart. "That's all we can do."

* * *

The Boiling Rock was different from most prisons around the world. It was out in the middle of a volcano, just a few miles away from Caldera. It was dropped in the middle of a boiling lake within the volcano. Only through a gondola could you get in and out of the prison. Steam fluttered around the prison as the gondola carrying Zuko and Katara was lowered to the Main Deck. The firebender, already dressed in the dirty red prison garb, could see the Warden standing there, a wicked smile on his face that was filled with glee.

"He looks a little too happy," Katara offered.

Zuko sighed. "He's Mai's uncle."

"Mai? Crazy bitch with the knives?"

The firebender nodded. "She also happens to be my... former betrothed."

"Oh," was all the Avatar could say.

They stepped out together, eyes focused as the Warden stalked towards them.

"Welcome, Avatar Katara and _Prince_ Zuko," the Warden snickered. "To the Boiling Rock."


	14. Boiling Rock

"The Warden wishes to see you, _Prince_ Zuko."

Zuko peeked up from his plate of some stew that he had no idea what was inside it. The guard was standing in front of him, holding up the metal cuffs for Zuko. With a sigh, he stood up and held his hands out. The cold sensation of the cuffs did nothing to Zuko as he was pushed forward, ignoring the stares from all the other prisoners. Zuko and Katara had been in here for nearly a month now, trapped away from everyone else while his father was getting ready and waiting for the comet to arrive.

"Zuko!"

The firebender looked up, seeing Katara being escorted along with him. He smiled softly towards her as she forced herself to stand next to him. She too had metal cuffs over her hands. Zuko leaned down and kissed the side of her forehead before being pushed forward to start walking again.

"What do you think the Warden wants with us?" Katara asked.

Zuko only shrugged. "I have no idea."

For the month they had been trapped inside the Boiling Rock, the Warden had made sure that Zuko's life was hell. He was the uncle of Mai, Zuko's former wife to be. There was no doubt in Zuko's mind that he was out to get him. It was obvious, to be honest. Zuko was immediately thrown into the Coolers on his first day. The Coolers were designed specifically for rowdy firebenders. The freezing temperatures snuffed one's inner fire and acted as an inhibitor for their firebending. It was the ultimate punishment for firebenders in the Boiling Rock.

The guards stopped them, pushing the door open to the Warden's office. Zuko slowly walked in front of Katara, keeping his eyes narrowed as they both took their seats across from the Warden's desk. The guards gave a bow to the Warden before they turned and walked out, closing the door behind them, leaving Zuko and Katara alone with the Warden, who had a sneer on his face as he stared down at this two newest prisoners.

"Can you imagine my surprise when I first learned the disgraced prince of Caldera and the Avatar were to be my newest prisoners last month?" the Warden prompted. "I was sure it was a cruel joke."

"Jumping with joy, I bet," Zuko grumbled.

"Surely Father Ozai is a great man," the Warden said. "To keep feeding a Fire Nation prison with new criminals is a blessing for me."

Katara had enough of this now. "What do you want with us?"

"In due time, Avatar."

"Go fuck yourself, okay?" Zuko snapped. "You're just bitter because Mai has probably been feeding you lies about me."

The Warden's smirk was replaced with a frown as he leaned forward, his golden eyes looking at the exiled prince. "Mind your tongue, boy. In here, I'm the big boss. You're just another fucking prisoner that will be forgotten. The both of you, that's all you are to me and everyone in here."

Zuko and Katara said nothing, only turn and stared away from the Warden. He rose from his seat, calling out for the guards. The doors reopened, the guards pulling the two prisoners up and escorting them back out to the cell blocks. They were taken to their respective cell, being pushed in after another. Zuko flinched as the metal door was slammed shut behind them.

"I'm scared, Zuko," Katara said as she turned and faced him.

The firebender nodded as he flexed his hands, finally being freed from the metal cuffs. "I know. I am too."

"What do we do? We can't stay in here forever."

"First, we have to find a way to get a message to your brother and the others," Zuko said with a nod as he crossed his arms. "I'm sure Toph alone will be enough to get us out of here."

Katara slowly made her way towards Zuko, wrapping his arms around his body and burying her face into his chest. Zuko draped his arms around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head as he heard the sound of her sobs. He pulled her body closer to his body, holding her tightly as her body rocked with sobs. Zuko knew this wasn't something she had an idea of how to grasp. Zuko had to be her rock, even more than before.

* * *

"I think I have a way to get a message to Sokka."

Zuko looked up from his stew, Katara looking across the table at him with a wide smile on her face. He swallowed the portion that was in his mouth, cringing at the taste of it as it slid down his throat.

"And what is it?" Zuko asked, raising a curious brow.

"Well, most prisons have messenger hawk stations, right?" Katara began. "All we have to do is send a message to them."

Zuko only shook his head, causing the smile from Katara's face to disappear as a frown set on her features.

"First off, the Boiling Rock isn't like most prisons," Zuko explained. "These prisoners here have no contact with the outside world. Secondly, even if it did, they would screen the message before letting it be sent off. Unless we can create some code that Sokka might not even understand, we're kind of screwed here."

"Then what?" Katara snapped, slamming her hands on the table. "We just wait until Appa drops out of the sky?"

The firebender shrugged. "We need them to figure out where we are and come to us. That's what we do."

The Avatar sighed, going back to playing with her stew. Zuko frowned, reaching across the table and placing his warm hand over her cold one. Slowly, her blue eyes looked up, tears beginning to form in the corner of her eyes.

"I know, Katara, I know. But we don't have any other choice."

* * *

The guard was stunned when the boomerang hit him in the back of the head. He was barely staggering forward before a hand was wrapped around his throat and his body was pinned back against the wall. He tried to raise his hands to firebend, but the wall shot out from behind him, enclosing around his hands. A low gasp came from his lips as his mask was ripped off his face. He was now face to face with a blue oni mask.

"Who are you?" The man's voice quivered.

"Where is the Avatar?" the masked man nearly yelled, holding the boomerang high in the air with his other hand.

"I don't know, I swear on Agni, I don't know."

The guard watched as the man turned to stare over his shoulder. He couldn't see what he was looking at, but a sing-song voice made his heart sink.

"Lying."

The masked man's grip on the guard's throat tightened as he leaned his face closer to the guard. A growl could be heard from under the mask as it tilted to the side, rage stemming from the very essence of the mask.

"One last chance," the voice snapped.

"Okay, okay," the guard croaked. "The Boiling Rock. Her and some scarred firebender were taken there. I swear."

"He's telling the truth," the sing-song voice said again.

The mask nodded, clubbing down on the man's head and knocked him unconscious. He stepped back, earning himself a glare from the bald Air Nomad and his girlfriend.

"What?" He asked, removing the mask and revealing his blue eyes. "We don't need him anymore."

"Maybe you could've asked him where this Boiling Rock is, Snoozles," Toph snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh."

Sokka only sighed as he tossed the mask of the Blue Spirit back into Zuko's bag. Ever since Zuko and Katara were separated from them, Sokka had hoped there was something in Zuko's possession that would provide some clue of where they might have gone. Instead, all they found were different clothes and the blue oni mask.

"It's better than nothing though," Suki added. "We know where they are being kept, so it's something."

"We just have to keep moving then, keep gathering information," Sokka said as he pulled Zuko's bag to his back. "Maybe this blue mask can help us along the way. People seem pretty scared of him."

The group kept moving, moving through the Fire Nation in secret and trying to find a way to learn more about the Boiling Rock. To Sokka, it sounded morbid and not really something they wanted to get into. But, he knew as the leader of the uprising, he had to be the one to find their secret weapons: the Avatar and an exiled prince who knew the ins and outs of the Fire Nation.

In the days since learning where their friends were being held, they made it through all of the Fire Nation colonies. Several guards that were loyal to the current Fire Lord, not Father Ozai or the Fire Nation troops in Caldera, provided some information on who would know where the Boiling Rock was. They had to track down a man named Jeong Jeong. Fire Nation legend spoke of Jeong Jeon as a deserter and one of the former teachers of the Royal Family of Caldera.

They had tracked down to the outskirts of the Fire Nation on one of the smaller islands of the country. They managed to Appa onto a large cargo ship that was headed to the island of Meng Hua. The island was small, appearing to only hold a small population of people.

"It should be easy to find this Jeong Jeong, right?" Aang asked.

"Hopefully," Sokka sighed as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"You seek the Deserter?"

A voice made them all look back at the captain of the ship they were on.

"And what if we are?" Toph raised a brow.

"Master Jeong Jeong lives just on the other side of this island," the captain said. "He's a good man. Grumpy, but good. He taught my boy how to firebend."

Without another word, the ship took off, leaving the group with a very stunned expression on their faces. Even Appa was silent as he marched behind everyone else onto the island. It took them a little over an hour to get to the other side of the island. They all watched, seeing an old man with black and gray hair sit lotus style and staring out into the ocean. They all looked to each other, trying to find a way to go and talk to him.

"You go, you're the leader," Aang said as he looked over at Sokka.

"Why me? Send Toph, maybe he'll show some pity," Sokka snapped back. "You know, being blind and all.

"Go fuck yourself," Toph snapped.

_"Perhaps maybe all of you could come."_

They froze, looking slowly over at Jeong Jeong. He was still in the same position, but now facing them. Sokka stepped out first, everyone else following him and stopping behind Sokka.

"What do you want?" Jeong Jeong snapped.

"We hear you know information about the Boiling Rock and where it's located," Sokka quickly said.

Jeong Jeong shrugged. "Maybe I don't."

"Lying," Toph said in her sing-song voice.

"Very perceptive," Jeong Jeong nodded. "But what does the Boiling Rock have to do with you? None of you are Fire Nation."

"Our friends are in there," Sokka explained. "My sister too, her name is Katara and she's the Avatar. She's with this firebender named Zuko and-…"

"—Zuko?"

Sokka nodded once. "You know him?"

"I taught him firebending when he was a little kid," the master said as he stood up now, stretching his muscles. "If you say he is in there, then we have to hurry and get him out. The Grand Master will not be happy to hear this."

"Grand Master?" all four of them spoke. "You mean Iroh?"

"Correct," Jeong Jeong said. "Grand Master Iroh is Zuko's uncle. Now, listen carefully because we'll only have one chance at this."

* * *

"New prisoners coming in, got someone called the Deserter headlining."

Zuko and Katara peeked up at the words of the guards mumbling to each other. A frown settled on the firebender's features, that label sounding very familiar, but not able to remember where he had heard it from.

"A little early for new prisoners, isn't it?" Katara asked. "I thought it was once every month?"

"We've been here for almost two months," Zuko said, playing with the god-awful stew. "I'm actually surprised it took this long."

"And who is the Deserter?" The Avatar asked. "Must be some big shot if he gets his own nickname."

The firebender only shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I know I've heard that name before. I just don't know where."

The doors clanged again, the new prisoners being led in by the guards. Zuko looked back over his shoulders, his eyes falling on him. The image came back into his head as he stared at Jeong Jeong, the Deserter. He remembered the tales he heard when he was in Ba Sing Se of a master firebender turning his back on Father Ozai and the entire Fire Nation.

"I know him," Zuko said.

"Who is he?" Katara asked.

"His name is Jeong Jeong… he was my firebending teacher."

* * *

"On your feet, traitor."

Zuko looked up from his small cot, being pulled up roughly by the guards. They didn't say anything else, only dragged him out of his cell and up towards the Warden's office. He sighed, wondering what he had to deal with today from the Warden. He didn't even flinch as the door was slammed shut behind him after he was tossed in. As he rolled his shoulders and tried to dust himself off, he felt an odd presence in the room that wasn't the Warden. He turned towards the desk, _now_ flinching.

Mai sat there, a dull look on her face.

"Hello, Zuko."

"Mai... what are you doing here?"

The girl shrugged, leaning back in the chair and propping her feet up on the table. "What are you doing with the uprising?"

The firebender narrowed his eyes as he stared at his former lover. "Did Azula send you here to interrogate me?"

"You shouldn't worry about Azula," Mai snapped. "I'm the one with the knife hidden up my sleeve."

The only thing about that was that Mai was being quite literal about the knife in her sleeve. Zuko sighed, finally sitting down across from Mai. He leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on the table as he stared at her. Her blank expression was a maze for Zuko, not being able to truly understand what she was thinking. Then again, that's how she always was.

"I'm sorry," Zuko said.

"For what?"

"For just leaving you," Zuko snapped. "I know it wasn't right... but I just couldn't be there anymore."

Mai scoffed, smirking softly. "A simple letter could've worked, you know?"

"I don't know what else you want me to say."

Mai frowned now, lowering her feet from the desk and standing up straight. Zuko looked up at her with his golden eyes, seeing the emotionless expression again as she rounded the desk. She narrowed her eyes, grabbing him by the jaw and placing a hard and rough kiss on his lips. She pulled away quickly, turning to the door and banging on it so the guards could come. Mai turned around, taking one last look at the firebender, seeing him stare at her with a confused expression.

"You're a bastard."

* * *

The door opened to his cell, the guard forcing Zuko back inside his cell. He turned and glared at the guard, who came in holding a tray with his daily lunch. The firebender noticed a white envelope on top of the food. He raised a brow, turning back to the guards and pointing to the envelope."

"What's that?" Zuko asked.

"Message from someone named Snoozles," the guard grumbled. "The Warden may be a dick to you, but there's still some _honor_ left in him."

The firebender only smirked as the door was closed behind the guard. He turned his body to the tray, grabbing the envelope and ripping it open. He pulled open the letter, staring at it with narrow eyes.

_Sparky,_

_ The Master holds the key. You and Sweetness in the Courtyard, today at noon._

_Snoozles._

Zuko smiled to himself, quickly burning the letter to ashes as he quickly ate his breakfast afterwards. He would soon be let out of his cell with the rest of the inmates for their three hour of recreation time. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he knew that something big was going to happen. For the meantime, Zuko quietly ate his lunch in peace.

The loud buzz went off some hours later, signaling for all the cell doors to be opened and everyone let out into the Courtyard. Zuko didn't need the guards to say anything as he walked outside. His golden eyes quickly found Katara, marching straight over to the table she was sitting on.

"Sokka and the others are coming today," Zuko quickly said.

"What? How?"

Zuko silenced her loud outburst. "Jeong Jeong is going to help us get out. Whenever he does what he's supposed to do, we have to ready to go in the Courtyard. Understand?"

"What is he supposed to be doing?" Katara asked.

Zuko shrugged his shoulders, looking around the Courtyard and seeing no sign of Jeong Jeong. The sun was reaching its highest point in the sky, meaning that it was ready to happen in a matter of moments. He turned back to his Avatar, offering a small smile at her distraught face.

"Hey, we're getting out of her, okay?" Zuko said as he reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "We're gonna be back with everyone else."

Before Katara could say anything, there was an explosion that rocked the entire prison complex. Zuko and Katara looked up, seeing black smoke and orange flames coming from where the Warden's office was.

"I guess that's the signal," Katara suggested.

Another explosion ripped through the air as they saw Jeong Jeong flying through the air. He landed in a crouch, turning on his heel and spraying fire towards the guards. His eyes met Zuko's, and he gave a nod. The two nodded back, sprinting towards Jeong Jeong. They repelled fire of their own back at the guards as the three were now back to back, hands raised and ready to attack.

"Your friends will be here shortly," Jeong Jeong yelled over the sound of roaring fire. "Be ready."

The firebending master stepped forward, raising his hands high into the air with a deep exhale. A circle of fire rose around the three of them, shooting high into the air. Zuko and Katara watched in awe as he stepped forward, pushing the fire out in a giant wave that sent everyone flying back now. Around them, the other prisoners were jumping into the makeshift riot now.

"Where are they?" Zuko yelled, looking back up at the sky.

There, somewhere in the black clouds, Zuko saw a figure jump from the office of the Warden. His eyes widened as he quickly saw the stiletto flying towards him. If it wasn't for Katara's quick airbending punch, it would've sliced through him. Zuko snapped out of it, seeing Mai flying down towards them. She landed in a roll, blood dripping down her face with a large sneer on her face.

"Mai, please, stop this," Zuko begged, stepping in front of Katara.

"You're a traitor, Zuko," Mai snapped. "You're dead to me and the rest of Caldera for betraying us."

"I only left because of what Ozai did to me," Zuko yelled, showing Mai his scars, feeling Katara flinch behind him. "I already told you, I never meant to hurt anyone."

"Well you did, Zuko. Not just me but Azula as well. Do you know what Ozai did to her when you left? The way he treated you was _nothing_ to how he treated her."

Zuko shook his head, not letting the images linger in his mind. Before he could even react, there was a roar from the sky. Everyone looked up, seeing the large sky-bison descending through the steam. Zuko could see Aang redirecting the hot air around them so Appa could land with ease. The firebender smiled at Katara before turning back to see Mai already in the motion of throwing another stiletto. It never got the chance to leave her hand. Katara stomped hard onto the ground, shooting her fist out. The ground shot out and hit Mai in the chest, sending her flying backwards and landing unconscious.

"Zuko, let's go!" Katara's voiced snapped him out of his trance.

He didn't look back as he moved and climbed up the side of Appa's saddle. Zuko quickly looked back down, seeing Jeong Jeong fending off guards and other prisoners now.

"Jeong Jeong, let's go," Zuko yelled.

"No," the firebending master said, turning to face Zuko. "You are the hope of Caldera, you and Avatar Katara. Go now, Prince Zuko. The Order of the White Lotus needs you alive."

Zuko gasped, stunned by this revelation that Jeong Jeong was another of Iroh's allies. Had Jeong Jeong always been a member of the White Lotus? Even back when he was his firebending teacher? The firebender looked back at Jeong Jeong, who had a smile on his face.

"Those who search will always find their treasure."

Appa roared as he raced back up into the sky as a large flame slowly consumed Jeong Jeong. Zuko screamed his lungs out, seeing his master engulfed by the flames. Tears began to run down his face, his body trembling as he felt Katara's warm arms around his body. He could feel her breath on his neck, hearing her words for him to calm down and let it go. There was a deafening silence on the saddle as Appa finally made it away from the Boiling Rock.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," Katara whispered into Zuko's ear as she rested her chin on his shoulder, listening to him breathe. "I'm sorry."

"What do we do now?" Toph asked.

Zuko sucked in air, letting himself relax before he sat up straight. Katara's arms were still around him as he stared off into the distance, his eyes narrowed as the fire inside of him was burning hot now.

"We train Katara, make her a master of all four elements," Zuko ordered. "And when she's ready, we go after my father."


	15. The Avatar State

"More ferocious! Put some anger behind it!"

The fire erupted from Katara's fist as she punched forward, breathing heavily as she tried to focus in on Zuko's advice. She went through her firebending katas, flames trailing her hands and feet before she spun the arcs around her body and pushed them out in waves. Zuko only had to raise a hand to snuff out the flames that were coming towards him, a focused look painted on his face.

"Very good," Zuko said, quickly smiling.

Katara heaved heavily as she flopped to the floor, sweat dripping off her face as she panted. Her blue eyes stayed locked on the floor as she felt her inner fire slowly calm down. Zuko's steps made her look up, watching him sit down next to her. He handed her over her waterskin, watching as she quickly opened the slit and gulped down water quickly. Zuko only chuckled before Katara closed the skin and dropped it onto the floor.

"It's been almost a week, Zuko," Katara said as her breathing slowly evened out, looking at Zuko. "I think I'm a firebending master."

The firebender shrugged as he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. "I'll be the judge of that."

"Are we ever going to talk about that?" Katara asked as he pulled away.

Zuko raised his good brow. "Talk about what?"

"Us, Zuko."

"Oh," Zuko said. "I… I told Sokka that once we figure it out, I'll tell him. I'm not sure I want to now, knowing that he knows where I keep my Blue Spirit mask."

"I mean it," Katara snapped. "It's been almost two months. What are we?"

"I don't know, Katara," Zuko quickly said. "Fuck, all I know is that I feel something for you. But I don't want you to only share feelings for me because I saved you. I want this to be real."

Katara gasped, shocked by his words. "This is real, Zuko. You of all people should know that."

"Then what do you want me to say, Katara? I want to be with you because you've made everything okay again. I just can't bare the fact of losing you…"

A frown came over Katara's features as she reached out for his hand. "Zuko, you're not going to lose me. I'm the Avatar; it'll take a lot more than some measly firebenders to take me down."

Zuko smiled softly, turning his head and watching as his Avatar leaned closer and pressed her soft lips against his. Zuko closed his eyes, melting into the kiss as he felt Katara pushing him down slowly. A soft groan came from his lips as he felt her weight shifting on top of him and her hips grinding down onto him. The firebender quickly realized that Katara was only in her wrappings. His pants tightened underneath him as her lips pulled at his bottom lip. His hands started roaming, warming them off as he was ready to burn her wrappings off and take her now as she grounded her hips into him.

_"Zuko! Katara! Where are you?"_

"That fucking airbender," Zuko groaned through gritted teeth.

Katara was already up and hiding behind a bush, putting the rest of her clothes on. Zuko sat up, thinking of the worst possible image to relief himself of his problem in his pants. His uncle naked in hot springs did the trick in a split second. He stood up, dusting himself off and putting his shirt back on over his chest.

"We're over here, Aang," Katara cried out, stepping out from the bush and wearing her original Water Tribe clothes.

Aang appeared with a whoosh of air, landing on his feet after waving at the two of them, a goofy smile on his face.

"What is it?" Zuko asked, standing up.

"Well, Sokka and Suki went into the town nearby," Aang explained. "There's some sort of festival honoring Avatar Roku."

"Avatar Roku?" Zuko raised a brow, looking over to Katara.

"Avatar Roku was the last firebending Avatar," Katara explained. "He was one of my past lives."

Zuko nodded, crossing his arms over his chest, his mind buzzing about what Katara was like in a past life.

"Was he the Avatar before you?" Aang asked, taking Zuko out of his brood.

Katara shook her head, standing next to Zuko and looking up in the sky with thought. "If I remember correctly, air comes after fire in the cycle. So, there was an airbending Avatar before me."

"Maybe we can learn something from these people."

Both Katara and Aang looked over at Zuko, raising their brows in confusion.

"How?" Katara asked.

Zuko only shrugged, slipping his sleeveless robe back on. "Well, maybe someone can explain what it means when your eyes turn all white and your voice sounds weird."

"Hopefully," Katara said, dropping her head.

"Let's go then," Aang said, forming a ball of air under his feet and leaving the two of them in a loud rush of air.

* * *

The town was called Roku Village, named after the Avatar, of course. It was located on one of the smaller islands near the tail end of the Fire Nation. Zuko kept his hood draped over his head as the group marched through the town. People were buzzing, dancing and being merry. Zuko stared over at posters, depicting the image of Avatar Roku. He stopped and intently observed one, keeping his eyes locked on the calm, yet determined look Roku carried. It sort of reminded him of his mother, as odd as it sounded. She was always calm, yet had a fire underneath all that calmness. It was sort of uncanny, the way they carried the same expression.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Katara's voice came from the side of him.

"What is?" Zuko asked, staring at her from the corner of his eye.

"Seeing me in a different form."

Zuko shook his head. "You're Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. That person is Avatar Roku. For all I care, you're two different people entirely."

"You know that's not true," Katara sighed.

"For me, it is."

Katara only sighed as they turned away from the poster. Zuko lingered a little longer before turning back and following the rest of the group. He could hear Sokka buying food and trying to figure out if there were any brothels around, needing a drink of Fire Nation wine to calm his nerves after these last few weeks. Zuko couldn't really blame him, knowing that he would probably feel the same if he didn't have a great distaste for alcohol.

"Hey, check this out, guys," Aang said, coming back with a different poster.

"The Ember Island Players present _The Last Days of Avatar Roku_," Suki read from the poster, raising a brow.

"Ember Island Players are all the way here?" Zuko groaned as he raised a brow. "They're so horrible, I'm not even sure why they keep working."

Sokka raised a brow at the firebender. "Is there something you want to tell us?"

"My mother used to take me to see them when I was young," the firebender snapped, narrowing his eyes. "I remember seeing them every summer with her."

"We should go watch it," Katara said. "It'll help teach us about my past life. Maybe even about my glowing white eyes too."

"Wait, glowing white eyes?" Sokka said, stepping in front of Katara. "When we're you going to tell me this?"

The Avatar raised a brow at her brother as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Haven't you seen it? It's happened twice already."

"I think I would remember my little sister having glowing white eyes," Sokka said, rolling his eyes.

_"That play is a load of bullshit."_

Everyone turned at the voice, seeing an older man standing there. He had facial hair with pointed ends. His eyes were a magnificent gold, emphasizing his Fire Nation heritage. He was wearing blue and white robes, a symbol clasped onto the front of the robes. Zuko recognized the symbol, moving through the group and lowering his hood. There was a scowl on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. The other man who only snickered as he nodded once at Zuko, a smirk pulling up at his lips.

"Hey there, Zuko," the man snickered. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Lu Ten, what are you doing here?"

"You know this guy?" Sokka asked, looking back from Zuko to the man called Zuko called Lu Ten.

Lu Ten smirked, looking around Zuko. "I happen to be Zu-Zu's cousin, Lu Ten. I'm sure he's told you about me."

"I think once," Katara said, smirking. "But he also never mentioned anything about being called Zu-Zu."

The group chuckled lightly, causing Zuko to scowl even deeper as he stepped in front of Lu Ten, his hands gripped tightly at his sides.

"What do you want, Lu Ten?" Zuko snapped. "I know this isn't just some impromptu family reunion."

Lu Ten shrugged. "Iroh figured that you would need help and that Avatar Katara would have questions about her Avatar State."

"Avatar State?" Katara raised a brow, stepping towards Lu Ten.

The older firebender sighed as he looked over at Katara. "Glowing white eyes, immense power and distorted voice, yeah? Sound familiar? It's known as the Avatar State."

"Wait, how did you even find us?" Zuko asked.

"You guys leave a pretty big trail behind you," Lu Ten snickered, counting on his fingers. "The brothel, the caves, the Mechanist, Boiling Rock. I'm surprised Azula hasn't found you guys yet after all of that."

"Can we just go back to talking about the Avatar State?" Katara snapped. "It'll help to know the full extent of my powers before the comet arrives."

Lu Ten raised a brow. "You mean Sozin's Comet?"

"The comet that's supposed to appear in about… oh, I don't know… five months from now?" Sokka shrugged. "No rush or anything."

"I suggest you visit the Temple of Roku," Lu Ten suggested. "There should be some way for Katara to tap into some Avatar spirit mojo from there."

Zuko narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms and stepping closer to Lu Ten. His cousin took this as a challenge, stepping towards Zuko as well. A smirk played on Lu Ten's lips as he shook his head at Zuko's hardened gaze.

"Trust me, Zuko," Lu Ten finally said, turning around. "My father trusts you and so do the rest of the White Lotus members."

"Where is this temple?" Zuko asked.

"In the center of the island," Lu Ten said, walking away. "I'd hurry if I were you. And Zuko… you might just learn something about yourself as well."

Zuko said nothing else, only watching as his cousin turned away completely, getting lose in the crowd of tourists. He sighed, feeling Katara's hand lace with his and felt her presence to be soothing. With a smile, Zuko turned to Katara and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"We should get going, now," Sokka said, turning and walking away.

* * *

The Temple of Roku was huge. It was a large pagoda tower, similar to the one that Katara was held in back in Caldera. It was black, the tiles of the roofs were a bright red color. Zuko stared in awe, observing the large tower that contained trinkets and history of the last firebending Avatar. The feeling went away as he saw guards standing by the entrance to the temple, holding large spears and helmets. The firebender frowned, his eyes narrowed as he slowly recognized those guards.

"We need to get past those guards," Sokka said, crouching down. "I say we hit them from all sides, they'll never know what hit them."

"No," Zuko said. "Those are Holy Guards, members of the Following of the Four Sages."

"Four Sages?" Katara asked.

Zuko nodded, turning back to face everyone. "The Four Sages come from the four nations; they're responsible for the founding of Caldera and the peaceful principles it was supposed to abide by."

Toph snorted. "Looks like that worked out well, huh, Sparky?"

"Anyways," Zuko said as he rolled his eyes. "We don't have to take them out or anything. All we have to do is show them Katara."

"What? Why?" Katara asked.

"Because you're the Avatar," Zuko said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They will allow the new incarnation of Avatar Roku in with no problem."

"That's… actually not a bad idea," Sokka said, looking back at the guards.

Zuko nodded once, grabbing Katara by the hand and leading her to the temple. The guards quickly noticed them, pointing their spears in their direction as they stopped before them. The firebender didn't hesitate, releasing Katara's hand before bowing to the guards, clearing his throat loudly for Katara to do the same. Eventually, the rest of the group came forward and did the same, bowing at the waist.

"Avatar Katara has come to see the Temple of Avatar Roku," Zuko said as he stood straight.

"Avatar? Prove it," one of the guards ordered.

Katara smirked, taking a step forward. She exhaled, uncorking her water skin and pulling the water out with smooth control. With the other hand, she engulfed her hand in fire. The guards gasped, watching as she stomped on the ground, making a pillar of earth rise. With a deep breath, she pushed the guards back a bit with her airbending.

"It's true," the guards said, lowering their spears and bowing, stepping to the side. "Please, Avatar Katara and friends, go and see what you want to see in Avatar Roku's temple."

"Thank you," Katara beamed, leading everyone into the temple.

The large doors closed behind them as they walked into the temple. The outside of the pagoda tower seemed to mostly be a façade, no other floors in the temple. There was a large statue, depicting the image of Avatar Roku. Around that statue was another golden statue of a large dragon, shining brightly with the rays of sun that flooded into the tower.

"So, this is Avatar Roku," Aang said, looking up in awe.

"I'm not sure how we're supposed to figure out stuff about my Avatar State," Katara huffed, crossing her arms.

Zuko shrugged, walking around and looking more at the dragon statue, his golden eyes tracing every spike and detail of the scales. "My uncle would say to probably meditate on it. Let the answers find you."

"Your uncle sounds wise," Suki said, standing at Sokka's side.

The firebender nodded. "He can be, yeah. I guess I don't realize it sometimes, but he is, yeah."

"I guess I'll meditate then," Katara said with a sigh.

Katara sat down lotus style, facing the large statue of one of her past lives. She folded her hands in her lap, closing her eyes and breathed deeply. Zuko turned and stared at her, stunned by how beautiful and peaceful she looked as her chest rose and fell with every breath she took, bringing her a calming state.

They were unsure of how much time had passed since Katara started her meditation. It felt like hours as they all sat down and waited to see if something would happen. Zuko stood in front of Katara, never taking his eyes off of her as she continued her even breathing.

"This is taking too long," Toph whined, throwing her hands up into the air.

"Maybe this is just how it is," Aang suggested.

Zuko was ready to open his mouth to speak when a rush of air swept through the temple. He looked down at Katara, seeing her eyes shoot open, revealing that glowing white color again. She stood up straight, raising her arms to her side and threw her head back. Another rush of air blew towards Katara, surrounding her body. Zuko stepped back as the air quickly erupted into fire.

"What the fuck is happening?" Sokka shouted.

"I don't know!" Zuko shouted back.

The flames slowly died, the air calming down and everything was coming back to normal again.

Except, Katara was standing there anymore.

Instead, they were all staring at Avatar Roku, looking exactly like the statue in front of him. His hair was gray, dressed in red and black Fire Nation robes. His hands were folded over his chest, his eyes no longer the glowing white, but the typical golden color for Fire Nation citizens.

"Is that… is that Avatar Roku?" Sokka asked.

"Yes, I am Avatar Roku," Roku said, looking around at everyone. "It has been a long time since I have graced the physical realm with my presence."

Zuko stepped forward. "What happened to Katara?"

"Avatar Katara is still here," Roku said with a nod. "She has allowed me to manifest myself and provide you with the knowledge that you seek."

"You mean the Avatar State?" Aang asked.

Roku nodded, stepping forward towards the statue of himself. Zuko stepped to the side, narrowing his golden eyes as he stepped back now, never losing his gaze from Roku. The firebending Avatar grazed the golden statue, smiling softly. Zuko could feel that Roku was feeling a hint of nostalgia as he stared at the statue of his depiction.

"The Avatar State is the most powerful weapon that the Avatar can use," Roku explained. "It is a power that none can match."

"That sounds promising," Sokka said. "But what _exactly_ is it?"

"It is raw power held within a shell made to hold it."

"You mean the Avatar?" Zuko prompted.

Roku nodded, turning back around and facing everyone else. "The Avatar State is when the current Avatar taps into all of his or hers' past lives and controls their powers. It is the true spiritual connection between this world and the Spirit World. The Avatar State allows the Avatar to control all four elements at once both as weapons, and as a defensive maneuver in life threatening situations."

"How can Katara control it though?" Sokka asked, stepping forward. "We kind of need her to beat Father Ozai and the comet that's coming in a few months."

"The Avatar State can only be mastered by opening herself to the Spirit World," Roku continued. "Katara must give up her earthly bonds and allow the spirits to guide her. Only then can she truly embrace the power of the Avatar State."

Zuko dropped his head, his eyes moving rapidly. _Earthly bonds? _Did that mean him? It was a selfish thought to have, putting himself before the rest of the world. But, at the same time, this was his Katara. They had a connection that none of them even could begin to fathom. This was one time that he would find an excuse to be selfish.

"Is there any other way?" Zuko asked, raising his head.

Roku turned his gaze upon the young firebender. "You're the Avatar's lover, are you not?"

Zuko blushed at this, looking away from a glaring Sokka. "Yes."

"Know this, Prince Zuko, the Avatar can only love once in their life. If Avatar Katara has chosen you as this one, then you will be forever bonded with her. Nothing will change that."

There was a quick flash of happiness on Zuko's face at this, causing him to smile. Roku saw this, narrowing his eyes and folding his arms over his chest as he stared intently at the young firebender.

"However," Roku continued. "This will prevent her from having the full power of the Avatar State at her disposal."

Zuko sighed, crossing his arms and turning away. "I understand."

Roku nodded slowly. "You must all understand this: Katara must have the full power of the Avatar State to stop Father Ozai. It is the only way to win."

"We understand," everyone except Zuko said.

"Tell Avatar Katara what I have told you," Roku said, his eyes glowing white. "Father Ozai must be stopped, whatever the costs."

The rush of air returned, surrounding Roku and engulfing him in flames, just like before. And just like before, when the flames died down and the air settled, Roku was no longer there. Instead, Katara was there, still sitting down in the lotus style. Her eyes returned to their normal blue color before she inhaled sharply, seemingly sucking her life back inside her. Zuko approached her slowly as she stood up, looking at everyone else.

"Did it work?" Katara asked.

"We spoke to Avatar Roku himself," Zuko said. "He told us everything about what the Avatar State is."

"So what is it?"

"A weapon," Sokka answered with a wide grin.

Zuko sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose for what felt like the hundredth time today. "What he means is that the Avatar State is pretty much you tapping into all your past lives and absorbing their powers. It's all the Avatars in one, pretty much."

"It's also the only thing strong enough to kick Ozai's sorry ass," Toph snickered, punching her fist into her palm.

"Well, now that we know, let's get going," Sokka said, turning and leading everyone out of the temple.

Katara had walked past Zuko before he reached out and grabbed her hand. She turned back, raising a brow at the hurt look on his face. A frown came on her face as she stood straight in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked, her eyes searching his face for some kind of answer.

"Avatar Roku said some things about you," Zuko sighed. "About how you can reach the Avatar State and tap into all of its powers."

The Avatar nodded. "What did he say?"

"The only way you can reach the full power of the Avatar State is if you let go of all your earthly bonds."

Katara raised a brow, not getting the message Zuko was trying to get across to her. He sighed again, placing her hand on his chest. They stood still for a moment, only the sound of their breathing surrounding them.

"It means you have to let me go," Zuko said.

"What?" Katara shrieked. "No, I won't do that."

"Roku said that you won't be able to control the full power of the Avatar State if you don't let everything go," Zuko continued. "And that it's the only way that we can beat my father and restore balance."

"Zuko… I can't let you go," Katara said, stepping closer to Zuko. "We'll find another way, we have to."

The firebender gave a small smile, finding his arms wrapping around her waist and kissing the tip of her nose. Katara pressed her face into Zuko's warm chest, listening to the soft thumping of his heart beating. Zuko kissed the top of her head, mumbling into her hair soft words that made Katara gasp in his arms.

"What?" Katara asked, stepping back and looking at Zuko with wide eyes. "What did you just say?"

"I love you, Katara," Zuko said, louder this time.

Katara said nothing, only raised herself on her toes and press her lips hard and deep onto Zuko's. It took him back a bit, but he quickly recovered and pressed back into the kiss, his hands cupping her face and pouring out all of his emotions into her lips as she did the same thing. Her taste made him drunk, always wanting more and more of it.

_"Katara! Zuko! Hurry up!"_

They broke apart, smiling down at each other. Katara had tears in her eyes, wiping them away with her wrists as she beamed up at the firebender.

"I love you too, Zuko."


End file.
